Saved
by Sassysaint
Summary: What if Stephanie met Ranger sooner? What if he was able to save her from childhood mistakes? A peek into Stephanie's life beginning in childhood. Based on the books not total AU just a look back in time.
1. Chapter 1

All of the usual disclaimers. Not my charters but definitely my story I make no money writing these.

Chapter 1- Two years old

At two years old your mind works faster than your mouth. My parents love to tell everyone all about my terrible twos. I will be three years old in two months, and I didn't think I was so terrible. I just get angry when I can't tell them exactly what I am thinking, what I want or what I need. I have a hard time expressing myself. Right now I am currently rolling around on the front lawn of my home. I am also screaming and crying and pounding my fists against the soft ground. I had been drawing on our driveway making beautiful pictures with chalk. My sister Valerie decided she had no room for her hop scotch board. As a solution my mother had just used the hose to clean off the drive way.

Maybe she didn't see my pictures. She said something about scribbles when she was spraying the water all over my drawings. I knew what my pictures were. The black and yellow chalk pieces had made Batman, and the red and blue chalk helped me make Wonder Woman. She just didn't get me. She didn't understand why I woke up early with Daddy to watch cartoons on Saturday mornings. Well the joke was on her because she never found my drawing of the invisible jet.

"After dinner it will be dry enough for you to make you game dear." My mother told Valerie as she picked her up into a loving hug.

I stopped rolling around and looked up at my mother and sister. I reached out my hands to be picked up, but my mother just shook her head.

"My hands are full." she explained.

I went back to my crying and screaming fit and fell back to the ground.

"Stop crying!" My mother yelled at me. "You're embarrassing me."

Just then Mrs. Costanza was passing by our house. Her son Carl was riding on his tricycle. He had the best bike. I climbed up onto my feet and went charging towards the boy with the cool bike. It was blue and white with red and blue streamers hanging from each handlebar. He had a light attached between the handlebars. The light was red and had duct tape holding it down.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum! Get back here right now!" My mother shrieked.

Carl stopped when he saw me and rang the bell that was attached to one handlebar. Then he started making more noises.

"Whoo whoo." he sounded like a police siren "whoo whoo"

Carl's mom beamed at him and clapped her hands together. "My little police officer."

"You're under arrest." he told me as he moved one leg over and slowly slid off of the bicycle seat.

I opened and closed both hands as I reached out for his bike. "I want to ride the bike."

"No. You are going to jail. I saw you throwing a fit. My mom says good kids don't throw fits." Carl told me.

"I am so sorry Stephanie got in the way." my mom told Mrs. Costanza.

"Don't even worry about it Helen." Carl's mom smiled at me. "She's not in the way."

My mother grabbed my shoulder and I whined when I felt her fingers digging into my skin. She never gave me real hugs or held me like she did with Valerie. Only my Grandpa Harry and Grandma Mazur gave me good bear hugs. But my grandparents were not around. They had taken a vacation. They were driving to Niagara Falls and would be gone for weeks.

"Little Carl's birthday is coming up." she told my mother.

Carl pulled my hands behind my back and used a rubber band to hold them together.

"You have the right to be quiet and not talk," he told me, "You have been a bad girl."

"I want to ride the bike." I reached for it again.

"No. You're going to jail." he shook his head.

"I am thinking about inviting that little boy around the corner." Mrs. Costanza told my mother.

"The black one?" my mother asked.

"They are Spanish or Latin. Something like that. He is visiting his grandmother for the summer. She seems like a nice woman. I forget the kid's name." Mrs. Costanza said.

"They're not from around here." My mother had a disgusted look on her face.

"They're from Newark." Mrs. Costanza explained.

My mother set Valerie down and kissed her on top of her head. She laughed when she saw the rubber band around my wrists. When I looked at Valerie she stuck out her tongue. Valerie looked perfect. She was wearing a green dress with matching bows in her hair. I looked down at my yellow dress and saw I was covered in dirt and grass stains. I had lost my bows sometime this morning. I hated wearing bows in my hair but my mother said that's what all proper little girls in the Burg wear.

"Newark?" My mother turned up her nose.

"He just seems like a sweet boy. He doesn't talk very much and he could definitely use a hair cut." Mrs Costanza smiled.

"He looks like a girl." my mother interrupted.

"He follows his grandmother around everywhere. Helping her work in the garden and using his little mower to mow the grass." Mrs. Costanza ignored my mother's comment.

"Well, you do what you want. Just remember they are not from the Burg." My mother told her.

Mrs. Costanza shrugged. "Can you watch Carl for a couple of hours tomorrow so I can pick up the decorations for his party?"

Then Mrs. Costanza leaned close and whispered "And his present."

"Of course." my mother smiled, "Valerie would love to play with him."

"I can't believe he is turning three. When does Stephanie turn three?" the woman asked.

"October. Valerie will be five in September. She is starting kindergarten this fall. I don't know what I will do with myself all day. It will be pretty lonely." my mother sighed.

"You have Stephanie." Mrs. Costanza reminded her.

"Yeah" My mother rolled her eyes.

"Carl, come on." she called out before looking back at my mom. "We have errands to run today after finishing our walk."

"Okay then. What time tomorrow? After church I assume." my mother told her.

"Yes, I'll drop him off about one o'clock if that's okay." Mrs. Costanza told her as Carl pulled the rubber band off of my wrists.

"I'll let you go with a warning this time." he told me.

I reached out my hands towards his bike and open and closed my fingers. "I want to ride."

He thought for a second. "Maybe next time."

Sunday morning we dressed for church. I was in a tan dress with a braid in the back of my hair. My mother said it was the only way to make my hair look good enough to show in public. She cautioned me to make sure it stayed in so I didn't embarrass the family. Valerie was perfect. She was wearing a pink dress with matching shoes and bows in her hair. She was carrying a little purse with her and when she walked by me she held her head up high not bothering to look my way.

The best part about Sundays was stopping at Tasty Pastry after mass to get donuts or sometimes a danish roll. I was only allowed one piece, but when my Grandma was around she would always sneak me an extra piece. I missed my grandparents terribly. I could always escape to their house when my mom got to be too much. Today we got donuts, but there was only one Boston creme in our assorted dozen.

"Creme." I held out my hands as we all sat down at the dining room table.

"May I please have the Boston one?" Valerie asked.

"Of course sweetheart." my mother smiled as she handed it to Valerie. "Oh Frank, doesn't she have the most perfect manners."

Of course I started crying because Valerie was getting the donut I wanted.

"I can't wait until these terrible twos are over." my mom rolled her eyes towards my father. "We should have stuck with one child, but no, you wanted to try for a boy."

"Helen!" he chastised her.

She smirked at him "She can't really understand."

I sighed and pointed to the donuts. My mom started pulling out the only plain one, but my father beat her to it. When he took that one she had no choice but to give me one of the frosted ones. I smiled as I took it and did a little dance in my seat as I ate it. My mom talked to Valerie about shopping for new school clothes next weekend. My dad ate his donuts quietly and I wiggled in my seat. I started to get up and then my mother stopped me.

"You need to ask to be excused from the table." she told me

"Can I be excused from the table?" I asked

"Fine. Go change out of your good clothes." she waved me away with her hand.

I went upstairs and found shorts and a t-shirt out on my bed. The shorts were lime green with a matching shirt that had a picture of a cupcake on it. I changed and stopped at the bathroom. I have been potty trained for eight whole months, but sometimes still had accidents at night. I tried to hide my sheets when it happened so I wouldn't get a spanking. I washed my hands and slid on my butt down the stairs.

"You had better not be sliding down the stairs again. It ruins your clothes." yelled my mother.

I pushed through the screen door and went to play in the front yard. I found a piece of chalk and went back to my drawing. I made a picture of myself with a cape. I wanted to fly. I knew deep down I was a super hero. I guess I have to wait until I get older to see my powers. I drew for a long time and then I heard the siren and the bell from Carl as he rode up on his bike. My mother came out of the house to greet Mrs. Costanza.

"Thanks again for watching Carl. I won't be that long and he's already had lunch." she told my mother.

"It's no problem at all." My mother smiled as Valerie came out and stood at her side.

"Carl is so excited for his party next weekend." the woman gushed.

"I am sure it will be a great party." my mother forced a smile.

"Now Carl you be good and try not to arrest anyone." she warned him before planting a kiss on the top of his head.

"Miss you." Carl told her as he slid off of his bike and extended his arms to her.

She gave her son a hug and gave us all a wave before she started her walk back to their house. Carl came over and asked what I was doing. He didn't understand my pictures. My mother brought out some bubbles and handed them to Carl.

"You two can play with these while I help Valerie clean her closet out." my mother smiled at Carl.

"Thank you Mrs. Helen." Carl told her before she disappeared.

Carl began blowing bubbles and I chased them around trying to clap them with my hands. I fell onto the grass in giggles a couple of times when bubbles landed on my nose. Carl handed me the bottle so we can take turns. I like Carl because he is a good sharer. Valerie is not very good at sharing. I blew bubbles for him and he chased them around. We were having a great time when we heard voices coming towards us. We looked up to see two Morelli boys. Now my mother had always warned me about the house around the corner. She had warned me to stay away from the Morelli boys because they cause trouble.

"Oh look Anthony, two little babies playing with bubbles." one of the boys smiled.

"We're not babies. We are going to pre-school this year." Carl put his hands on his hips.

"Oh yeah? I'm going into first grade and my brother Joe starts Kindergarten." Anthony told us.

"We're still not babies." I glared at them and blew bubbles their way.

"We don't want to play with your baby bubbles." Anthony glared as both boys stepped towards us.

Joe took the bubbles out of my hand. I tried to reach for them but he held them above my head. My eyes welled with tears and I sniffled trying to hold them back. I jumped and jumped but couldn't reach the bubbles. Carl ran over to his bike and pedaled towards us. He rang his bell and turned on his light.

"Whoo" he called "Whoo."

"What the?" Anthony laughed at Carl.

"He thinks he is a cop." Joe laughed.

I gave up on the bubbles and moved to stand by Carl. Joe lowered the bubble bottle and poured them out onto the lawn.

"You are under arrest for being naughty." Carl told them as he hopped off his bike.

Rubber bands in his hands at the ready, he approached Anthony first and reached for his hand. Anthony slapped Carl's hand away and laughed. Carl turned and tried to go after Joe. Joe simply pushed Carl down onto the grass. He laid there and started to sniffle.

"I am police officer." Carl tried to glare as he looked up at Joe.

Anthony and Joe laughed as I tried to help Carl up. Joe went over and hopped on Carl's bike. He pedaled on the sidewalk back and forth in front of our driveway.

"Whoo. Whoo. I'm the cop now." Joe taunted Carl.

When Carl went to stand up Anthony pushed him back down. I walked over to Joe and moved to stand in front of the bike. Joe stopped and rang the bell. I stayed still in front of him with my hands on my hips. He rang the bell again but I wasn't moving.

"Get out of the way Cupcake." Joe ordered.

"I'm not Cupcake. I am Stephanie Michelle Plum." I corrected.

"You have a cupcake on your shirt. Only babies have cupcakes on their shirts." he laughed.

"I am not a baby." I stomped my foot.

"How old are you? One" Joe asked as he got off of the bike.

"I am almost this many." I told him as I held up three fingers.

"My birthday is Saturday and I will be three." Carl growled as he moved behind me.

"Babies." Anthony laughed.

Joe gave me a hard shove and I landed on the sidewalk. I pushed out my lower lip as a tear fell down my face. Carl helped me up and we both moved back onto the lawn. I was going to call for my mom, but I knew I couldn't. She would yell at me for interrupting and then she would yell at me for playing with the Morelli boys.

"Go home stupid heads." Carl ordered.

"Stupid head?" Anthony glared and moved towards Carl.

Joe laughed as he pushed Carl's bike away. The bike rolled down the driveway and onto the sidewalk. When it came to the slant for the driveway it kept going and rolled out into the street. Carl and I looked at each other with wide eyes. Neither one of us were allowed in the street. We didn't know how we would get the bike back. Both boys stalked towards us and I grabbed Carl's hand.

"Aww look at the babies. They must be boyfriend girlfriend." Anthony laughed. " Copboy and Cupcake sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g."

"Hey! That's not nice." I growled at him.

Joe moved to stand in front of me and Anthony was in front of Carl. Joe stepped closer and I stayed in my place glaring.

"Let's see if she still wears diapers." Joe laughed

"I do not wear diapers." I stomped a foot.

"Show us your panties." Anthony ordered.

"NO!" I yelled.

"Leave her alone." Carl ordered.

Suddenly Joe jumped at me and grabbed the bottom of my shorts. He pulled them down to my feet and my jaw dropped.

"Stop that!" I reached down and grabbed my shorts before I quickly pulled them up.

"Polka dots." Joe sneered.

"She's got pretty panties." Anthony laughed as tears fell down my face.

I always hated my polka dot panties. I wanted superhero ones, with Wonder Woman or Supergirl or Batgirl, but mom never bought them for me. She said polka dots were what good little girls wore. That only made me hate them even more.

"You leave her alone." Carl poked Anthony in the chest.

Anthony punched Carl, knocking him to the ground. Carl grabbed his cheek as tears quietly fell down his face. He was biting his lip as he tried not to cry out loud.

"Let's see those polka dots again." Joe snarled as he took s step towards me.

"NO!" I hollered and took a step back.

"Don't touch her!" Carl whined before he shouted. "Mrs. Plum!"

"Shut up." Anthony ordered as he jumped on top of Carl.

Anthony punched Carl again and then held his arms down while he sat on him. I moved to help and Joe grabbed my arm. I tried to pull away from him but he squeezed harder. I slapped him hard and pushed Anthony off of Carl. Anthony laughed at me and immediately jumped on Carl again. We all turned when we heard a car coming. I whipped my head to look at the bike in the street.

I ran away from both boys and went charging towards the bike. I ran into the street without looking and moved behind the bike. I tried to push it but the front wheel was turned and it wouldn't move. I jumped into the seat and tried to turn the handlebars. I got it straight but it didn't move. I could hear Anthony and Joe laughing. I couldn't figure out how Carl had made it move. I didn't have a bike and Carl never let me try his.

"The pedals." Carl yelled from under Anthony.

I put my feet on the pedals and tried to push them. They wouldn't move. Tears were running down my face and I grunted as I tried harder. The bike moved a forward a little and I heard a car coming closer. I looked up and saw it. It was getting closer and closer to me.

"Stephanie!" Carl yelled out to me as Joe and Anthony continued to laugh.

I felt a sudden push as the bike careened towards the sidewalk. I was moving so fast the bike went right up onto the sidewalk. The car flew by and honked.

"Stay out of the road." an old man yelled.

I turned to look behind me and saw a boy with his hands still on the bike.

"Turn the wheel." he ordered.

I looked at his serious face. His skin was darker than mine. His skin was the color of vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate and caramel. I turned the wheel and he pushed me some more until the bike was away from the driveway. Joe and Anthony had stopped laughing. The boy helped me off of the bike. He still had his hands under my arms as he looked me up and down.

"Are you okay?" he asked

I nodded and sniffled. He reached out and wiped some tears off of my cheeks. I noticed some motion behind him. I looked to see Anthony and Joe coming our way. The boy noticed my eyes and turned to look at both boys. He turned around and kept me behind him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Anthony asked him.

"You need to mind your own business." Joe glared at him.

The boy took a step towards both of them and growled. Both Joe and Anthony stumbled back. The boy crossed his arms over his chest and continued to stare at both boys. Carl was on his feet and moved over to stand next to me. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"What is going on?" My mother shrieked as she came out onto the porch.

Anthony and Joe both stuck out their tongues at the same time before turning to walk away. My mother came towards us and I saw her lips tighten when she noticed the boy. She glanced down at him with a disgusted look on her face. She grabbed my arm and tugged me towards the lawn. She whipped me around and swatted my butt. I cried out and Carl moved towards me.

"I did it." Carl told her.

"It's okay Carl. I know you're a good boy. Stephanie makes bad choices." she told him.

I fell onto the grass when she released me. I sat there unmoving. I sniffled and my body shook every time I took a breath. the boy studied my face and then looked at my mother. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He didn't amile or frown. He didn't scream or cry. Then I saw it. I was surprised when he aimed a glare at my mother.

"Carlos." I heard the voice of a lady.

I looked over to see an elderly woman walking towards us. When she saw the boy a smile slowly spread across her face. She leaned down and gave him a hug.

"Carlos." she closed her eyes when she pulled him to her.

"Sorry Abuela." he told her.

"I was worried about you." she kept her hands on his shoulders after he pulled away from her hug.

"I was helping." he told her.

"Of course you were." she smiled at him.

"What is going on out here?" my mother asked.

"The Morelli boys." Carl told her.

"Morelli boys?" She turned her glare to me. "Stephanie Michelle Plum, haven't I told you to stay away from those Morelli boys? They are nothing but trouble. That's it. You are grounded. Go to your room for the rest of the day."

"But mom..." I sniffled.

"You won't argue with me young lady or you won't get dessert." she wagged her finger at me.

I turned to the boy and whispered "thank you" and he nodded.

I marched to the house and stomped up the stairs. I stomped all the way to my room and slammed my door. I threw myself onto the bed and buried my face in the pillow. The tears came hard and fast and I sobbed into the pillow so no one would hear me. I heard my door open and tried to control my sobs before I moved the pillow. I looked over to see Valerie in the doorway.

"You are such a baby." She had a disgusted look on her face as she shook her head at me.

"Go away." I screamed at her.

She laughed at me before she shut the door. I buried my head back into the pillow. I thought about the Morelli boys and how much I wanted to punch them both until they cried. I thought about Carl and was glad his bike was okay. Carl is one of my very best friends. Then I thought of that boy. He had brown hair that was a little long for a boy. His eyes were...well his eyes were beautiful. When he spoke to the Morelli boys they were dark and focused almost black. When he looked at me they were soft and amber. His name was Carlos and he saved my life.


	2. Chapter 2

**In the first chapter some of you may have read Tommy Morelli- I have since fixed this to Anthony Morelli. I apologize for any confusion.

Chapter 2- Four years old

Summer is almost over and I will soon be starting kindergarten. My grandma and grandpa have been working with me on my numbers for math. My pre-school teacher says I am very good with letters and I can even write my own name. I don't think my mother notices. She tells everyone about how Valerie will be the youngest in her second grade class. Valerie is also reading on a third grade level. Her math isn't very good, but my mother says it is because the math teacher doesn't like her.

I am excited because today is shopping day. I can't wait to pick out new school clothes. My mother parked outside of Macy's and we headed in. I wanted to stop and look at the shoes , but my mother just rushed us along. We went straight to the girl's department. I squealed and ran to the best thing I had ever seen. It was Wonder Woman underroos. Underwear and a tank top that were exactly like Wonder Woman's outfit. I jumped up and down and pointed at it.

"I need this!" I exclaimed to my mother.

"We're here for clothes." she reminded me.

"These are clothes. Please!" I begged.

"Can't you find something with pink and lace?" my mother rolled her eyes.

"I love these." I whined.

"Can we find a dress for me now?" My sister asked impatiently.

"Of course dear." My mother smiled at her and started moving forward.

"But mom." I whined.

She grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. "Let's go."

I bit my bottom lip and held back my tears. I let her pull me along and stayed quiet while Valerie poured through all of the dresses. Again my grandparents had gone on vacation. Every year in August they took a vacation,. Usually driving somewhere. This year they were in Washington DC. Just as I was thinking about how much I missed them I saw a beautiful blue dress. I jerked my hand away from my mother's and ran to the dress.

"Oh mom look at this one. This is a beautiful dress." I felt the silky fabric.

"I was just going for that one. They have pink ones behind the blue." Valerie announced.

"That would look perfect on you Valerie. Perfect for the first day of school." My mother clasped her hands together.

"And I can get the blue one?" I asked

"You both can't wear the same dress." my mom rolled her eyes.

"I saw it first." I frowned.

"You touched it first. I saw it first." Valerie corrected me.

I stomped my feet and considered crying, but I knew that would get me a spanking and I would lose dessert. I simply sighed and accepted the fact that Valerie would get her way. I let my mom pick my clothes. I reminded her that I liked blues and reds but my new clothes were mostly green and yellow. She was holding up a shirt for me to look at and as soon as I saw it from the back I got excited because it was blue.

"Yes! I love it." I smiled

"It's so cute." she smiled before turning it around.

Then I saw it. On the front was a cupcake. I immediately thought of Joe Morelli. I hadn't seen him around much since that day with the bike. He occasionally walked by our house with his brother or one of his friends but I ignored him or ran inside. I didn't want that shirt. I didn't want to be a cupcake.

"Wait. No. I don't want it." I told her.

"It's cute and you already said you love it." she smiled as she laid the shirt over her arm.

I sighed and gave up. I knew there was no arguing with her when she made up her mind. I let my mind wander and started thinking about the party this weekend, Carl was turning five and he was having a swimming party at the YMCA summer pool. I almost never get to go swimming and I did like my blue swimsuit. It was covered with red roses. My Grandma Mazur had picked it out for me last year before they left for their trip to the Amish country.

Suddenly my thoughts went to Carlos. The boy who had saved my life and scared away the Morelli boys two years ago. I never saw him again but I did do a lot of eavesdropping trying to listen for more information about him. He was the same age as me except his birthday was in the end of the summer and mine was in the fall. He lived in Newark but came to visit his grandmother every summer. Her husband had passed away so her grandson was sent to keep her company.

His grandmother had moved to the Burg two years ago so she could get a break from the busy city. Most of the local Burg women had been welcoming but there were several like my mother who would not let her into their circles. From what I had heard she pretty much kept to herself. When Carlos visited he didn't play with the other kids. He spent all of his time with her. I often heard my mother talking about him on the phone. She said it was weird that he always wore black clothes. She said he never smiled and she was happy that he chose not to play with the neighborhood kids. She thought he would be a bad influence. I tried to tell her about the bike, but she never listened to my story.

We left Macy's with bags of new clothes for the new school year. As soon as we got home I ran out to the front yard to play. Today I decided to be Princess Leia. My dad had let me watch Star Wars one night last week when my mother was at a PTA meeting. I wanted to be an intergalactic princess. I was skipping through the yard looking for a tree branch I could use as a light saber when I noticed Carlos on the sidewalk watching me. He was wearing black jeans with a black t-shirt. He had on mirrored sunglasses and black boots.

"Want to play with me?" I asked him.

He walked onto the lawn and I felt a tingle on the back of my neck when he got closer.

"What are you playing?" he asked me.

"Star Wars. I am princess Leia." I explained "Do you want to be Luke? He has a cool light saber."

"No. I am more of a Han Solo type of guy." he glanced around like he was checking to make sure all was safe.

I looked around and found a short stick. I handed it to him and led the way around the bushes.

"Storm Troopers!" I told him as I pulled out my light sabre.

"Pew pew" he said as he fired his gun.

He dashed out from behind the bush and rolled across the grass on his side. He laid on his stomach positioned his elbows on the grass and took fire.

"Pew pew" he moved the gun back and forth as he shot.

He jumped up to his feet super fast and ran back to me.

"Come on, I'll keep you safe." he pulled me behind him.

"I have my own weapon." I told him.

"I know and you are good but I need to protect you." he explained.

I sighed "Fine. I'll watch your back."

We moved out together. He was facing forward where the storm troopers had been. I pressed my back to his and watched out for more bad guys. Just then we heard a bell and both looked over to the sidewalk.

"whoo. whoo." Carl made the siren noises.

"Hey Carl." I waved him over.

"What are you doing?" Carl asked.

"Playing Star Wars." I told him

"I'll be Han Solo." he told us.

"No. Carlos is Han Solo. You can be Luke." I offered.

"Okay." Carl said as he moved towards the big tree and found a light saber.

We played for a while until Carl's mother came out of the house and called him over.

"Come on Carl. Let's go. You have your birthday party tomorrow." she reminded him.

"Coming." he called to her. "Be careful with the storm troopers."

"See you tomorrow." I waved.

Carlos nodded his head at Carl. He sure didn't talk much. After Carl left we both sat down next to the bush. I wasn't sure what to say to him. I liked being near him, but he didn't talk much. He didn't seem to have any problem just sitting silently. I tried it but ended up wiggling. Then I started humming and tapping my fingers on the grass.

"You're going to the party tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes. I want to go swimming." I explained.

"Do you know how?" he asked.

"A little. I have to stay in the shallow end." I shrugged. "Are you going?"

"I wasn't going to go." he admitted.

"Oh." I was suddenly sad. "I wish you were going."

"I'll go." he nodded "I need to make sure you are safe from Ursula."

"Ursula the octopus?" I asked thinking of the Little Mermaid.

"Yes. You can be the Little Mermaid." he stared straight ahead towards the big tree.

"You watched the movie?" I asked.

He shrugged "I have four sisters."

"Who will you be?" I asked.

"Prince Eric of course." he turned to look at me.

He flashed me a smile that lit up like a light bulb. I returned his smile. We sat there quietly. He didn't move. I entertained myself by playing with my light saber. I was sticking it in the grass and then pretending to write with it. I looked at him and studied his face. He had a nice face and I liked it. He turned to look at me and his eyes were amber.

"I have to go." he said as he got to his feet.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yes." he nodded.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum." I heard my mother screech from the porch.

My bottom lip fell out into a pout and my head dropped. Carlos reached over and patted my shoulder. I looked up at him and he flashed his smile at me again.

"It will be alright." he smiled "Tomorrow I will teach you to swim."

"Thank you." I told him

He held out his hand and I grabbed it. He pulled me to my feet.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum. Where are you?" my mother shouted again.

I peered around the bush and looked at her. She had both hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. I turned around to say goodbye to Carlos but he was already gone. I took a deep breath and came out from behind the bush. I walked over to my mother with my head held low.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"Playing." I told her.

"Get inside. You probably ruined dinner. I'm sure the meat is dry now. Your father and sister are sitting at the table waiting for you." I nodded and climbed the steps. As I passed her she swatted me on the butt and pushed me into the house. I made my way to the dining room and pulled out my chair. When I looked at Valerie she rolled her eyes at me. My dad was already stuffing his face, but he gave me a nod. After dinner I happily brushed my teeth and threw on my pajamas. I went to bed early excited for tomorrow. Carlos was going to teach me how to swim.

When we got to the pool I looked around for Carlos but didn't see him anywhere. My mother joined the other moms and quickly grabbed a wine cooler. Valerie and I headed for the pool. Right away she found Carl's older sister and they headed for the deep end. Carl was waving me into the pool. I moved over to the side and dipped my foot in to check the temperature. It felt kind of cold so I hesitated and decided to watch for a few minutes. Eddie and Mary Lou were passing a ball back and forth. Carl was hanging on to a pool noodle. I noticed Sal Juniak was there and Joyce was chasing him around. She turned to look at me and rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to get in or not baby?" she asked.

"I will in a minute." I glared at her as I worked on gathering my courage.

Suddenly I felt a pair of hands on my back and I was being pushed into the water. I fell in and did a belly flop. I struggled for air as my feet looked for the bottom. Finally I was able to pop my head up. I spit out water and gasped for air. I wiped my eyes and looked up to the side of the pool. It was Joe Morelli. He stood there laughing and pointing at me. I heard Joyce laughing behind me and Eddie swam to my side.

"Are you okay?" he asked

I nodded but didn't speak. I was afraid I would cry and I didn't want to show them how upset I was. Joyce swam closer and sneered at me.

"Aww is the wittle baby okay?" she mocked me with a baby voice.

"Go away Ronald McDonald." I glared at her.

"What?" she nearly screamed

"Your hair." I smiled "You look like Ronald McDonald."

"You look like my Aunt's poodle and you smell like it too." she stuck out her tongue and swam away.

"Are you okay Stephanie?" Carl asked as he swam closer and offered me his pool noodle.

"I'm fine." I told him.

"Those Morelli boys are trouble." Mary Lou added as she joined us.

With my friends around me I started to feel better. Eddie threw the ball to me and I focused on playing with my friends. It wasn't long until we were all smiling and laughing. We passed around a ball and took turns playing shark. Eddie suggested playing Marco Polo and Joyce decided I would be it. I went to the steps and closed my eyes. I counted to twenty because I knew how to count that high, even though you only had to count to ten.

"Ready or not here I come." I warned them.

I turned around and pushed away from the steps. My eyes were closed and my hands were stretched out in front of me. I moved around slowly and heard the splashing of someone as they moved away from me. I reached out quickly but my hands ended up empty.

"Marco" I called out.

"Polo" yelled several voices.

I found the edge of the pool and moved around keeping one hand stretched out in front of me.

"Marco" I tried again

"Polo" the voices answered.

I could tell Joyce was near me. I pushed away from the side and aimed towards her voice. I held out my arms and felt water splashed into my face. Some went into my nose and I choked. I knew it was Joyce and I internally glared. I kept my eyes closed tight because I wasn't a cheater. I reached out and kept moving forward. I bumped into something hard and thought I hit the side of the pool. But then I felt warmth when I moved my hands around. Then I moved my hands up and finally felt something soft. I opened my eyes and realized my fingers were tracing Carlos' lips. He raised one eyebrow at me but didn't say a word.

"Oops." I whispered.

"You got me." he whispered back

I quickly pulled my hands away and felt the red spread up my cheeks. I looked at him and noticed the muscles on his stomach. What four year old has muscles? I have only see big kids with muscles. When he saw me looking he glanced down. I looked back up to his face and he flashed me the bright smile. Today it was like the sun,.

"Wow. You have muscles like the wrestlers on TV" I blurted out.

"I lift a lot of heavy things for my Abuela." he shrugged.

"Abuela?" I asked.

"My grandmother." he explained.

"That's nice." I smiled.

"Did you tag someone?" Eddie called out.

"Carlos is it." I hollered as everyone opened their eyes.

I saw red from the corner of my eye and turned to see Joyce heading towards us. She smiled and raised both eyebrows as she swam faster towards us. She set her hand on Carlos' shoulder. She opened and closed her eyes a lot and it made her eyelashes wiggle.

"I'm Joyce. What's your name?" she asked him.

He shrugged his shoulder away and her hand fell into the water. He took a step away from her and that brought him closer to me.

"Carlos." he told her.

"You're it." she smiled at him.

"Hey Carlos. You have to go to the steps and count to ten." Eddie explained.

'I counted to twenty' I remembered.

"That's great. You're pretty smart." Carlos told me and I realized I had spoken out loud.

"Let's go already." Joyce rolled her eyes.

We all swam away from Carlos and he headed towards the stairs. I watched him turn his back and noticed more muscles. Was that even normal for a four year old? Then I remembered his birthday had passed. He had turned five a couple of weeks ago, so maybe that's why he was able to have muscles like the wrestlers on TV. I looked over at Carl. His belly hung out over his swim suit. He was five now but he didn't have any muscles. I glanced at Eddie and I could see his bones but no muscles.

"Marco" Carlos yelled out.

"Polo" I called back.

He glided through the water like a shark or a piranha. There were no waves around him but he made me nervous like he might attack at any moment. I watched him push through the water as the sun hit his back. His brown skin looked golden when the sun shined on him. He turned his head slightly as he listened for any noise we might make. I watched Joyce purposely move into his path.

"Marco"

"Polo"

Carlos was headed straight for Joyce. When he was in arms length he moved around her. She frowned and followed behind him. He was moving closer to me and I quickly swam to the side. He turned his head to listen to my splashes and headed towards me again.

"Marco"

I was about to yell Polo when I felt hands on my head and I was shoved under the water. I grabbed at the hands and pushed myself up to the surface. I gasped for water. I was quickly pushed down again. I grabbed at the hands but they wouldn't let go of my head. I kicked my legs and tried to swim away. I finally pushed up again and opened my mouth for air. Before I could breath in I was shoved down again. I pulled water into my mouth. I grabbed at the burn in my chest and black dots flashed before my eyes. I kicked furiously and waved my hands around. I reached up to grip the hands on my head. I clawed at them and squeezed them but I couldn't get them to release me.

I took in another mouthful of water and the pain in my chest grew. I immediately felt the hands disappear from the top of my head. Hands moved under my arms and pulled me to the surface. I gasped for air when I was raised out of the water. I felt nausea. I was being pulled to the side of the pool. I felt myself being tugged up the stairs and laid onto the cement. I was rolled onto my side and someone patted my back gently. I spit out some water and took in the air my body craved. Hands were pulling me up until I was in a sitting position.

I opened my eyes and saw Carlos kneeling in front of me. The sun was shining behind him and I squinted to see his eyes. He looked like an angel with the golden glow surrounding his face. He rubbed my cheek as a slow smile spread across his face. Carl's mom ran over to us.

"Oh my God Stephanie are you okay?" she asked.

I nodded and she called for my mother.

"Helen! Get over here!" she yelled

"What did she do this time?" my mother asked when she approached us.

"That Morelli boy was shoving her under the water. Carlos pulled her up and got her out of the pool." Mrs. Costanza explained. "I was trying to get to her but I was holding Mrs. Gazarra's baby."

"I told you to stay away from those Morelli boys." my mother's words were slurred.

She had a wine cooler in her hand. She leaned down and patted my head.

"Glad you are okay Stephanie." she smiled and completely ignored Carlos.

I heard a big sigh and looked at Mrs. Costanza. She flashed me a smile and bent down to pat my back. My mother turned away and went back to her friends. Carlos moved away from me and gracefully dove into the water. I watched him swim straight towards Joe Morelli. Morelli's eyes grew wide as he moved away quickly. He got to the side of the pool and struggled to pull himself out. He got his foot out just as Carlos reached the side. Carlos quickly lifted himself out of the pool and charged after Joe.

Joe ran towards the bushes and then turned around when he realized there was no place to go. Carlos pressed both of his hands on Joe's chest and pushed hard. Joe fell into the bushes and gave out a scream. Everyone looked to see him in the bushes. Carl and Eddie laughed. Joe lifted up his arm and clutched it to his chest. His elbow was bleeding and he started crying. Anthony approached Carlos from behind, but Carlos spun around around before Anthony could surprise him.

Anthony reached out to push Carlos but he jumped to the side and Anthony fell forward. He landed right on top of Joe. Joe was forced back into the bushes.

"Oww" Joe screamed out.

Mrs. Morelli came running over and Mrs. Costanza jogged over to us. Mrs. Morelli helped both of her sons to their feet. Carlos' grandmother slowly moved up and stood beside Mrs. Costanza. When Carlos noticed her there he moved to stand in front of her.

"That's why these people don't belong in the Burg." Mrs. Morelli turned to glare at Carlos.

"Your son started it. " Mrs. Costanza told her.

"My Joseph? I don't think so. He is a good boy." Mrs. Morelli argued before setting her glare back on Carlos

"It wasn't the little boy's fault." Mrs. Gazarra joined the crowd with her baby on her hip.

Mrs. Gazarra and Mrs. Costanza stood side by side defending Carlos. Carlos' grandmother rested her hands on his shoulders and leaned down to kiss him on the top of the head. She gently tugged him back and he turned and took her hand.

"My Joseph would have never started trouble. He was only protecting himself." Mrs. Morelli told the women.

"Everyone knows your boys are trouble." Mrs. Gazarra glared.

"That boy from Newark started it." Mrs. Morelli pointed towards Carlos.

"My grandson was protecting a friend." Carlos' grandmother spoke quietly.

"What friend?" My mother asked.

"Stephanie." Mrs. Costanza shook her head. "he saved her."

"They are not friends." My mother slurred.

Other women were starting to gather around. They were clearly in support of Mrs. Morelli and my mother.

"He meant to do the right thing. We didn't mean to upset anyone. We are headed home anyway." Carlos' grandmother told the crowd before she turned to Mrs. Costanza. "Thank you for inviting Carlos."

"Of course." Mrs. Costanza smiled."He is a pleasure."

"That boy doesn't belong here." Mrs. Morelli told Mrs. Costanza as he was walking away with his grandmother.

My legs moved before I could think about what I was doing. I walked over to where the adults stood. I pushed my way through and moved in front of Mrs. Costanza.

"Carlos saved my life." I told them.

"Yes he did." Mrs. Gazarra smiled at me.

"I'm very glad he was here." Mrs. Costanza announced.

She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. I turned to look for Carlos and saw he was gathering the towels from his Grandmother's arms. She pressed her hand against his back and guided him towards the gate to exit. I moved quickly and made it to his side before they went through the gate. I grabbed his hand without thinking.

"Thank you." I told him.

He squeezed my hand and gave me that light bulb smile before he let go. His grandmother reached down and gently patted my head. I stood there and watched them go out the gate together. I couldn't stop staring as I watched them disappear but I remained glued to my spot. I was staring off into space, but quickly came back to earth when I felt a rough hand grab my shoulder. I turned around to find my mother glaring at me.

"You stay away from that boy." she ordered.

"But he saved me. He helped me." I whined.

"He's not from the Burg." she had a disgusted look on her face.

I bit into my lower lip and just nodded. I knew there was no arguing with her when she smelled like she did. I looked in her hand and she had a new wine cooler. She finally released my shoulder and I headed back to my friends. I sat down on the side of the pool and dipped my legs in. Mrs. Morelli was cradling Joe on her lap and he was still crying. Anthony was sitting in a chair next to them and he was pouting. Joyce was sitting on the same chair next to Anthony patting his back. Eddie, Carl and Mary Lou were back to playing with the ball. Sal Juniak was jumping on the diving board.

I wiggled my feet around and looked down into the water. I felt a tear slowly slide down my cheek. Carlos had saved me and my mother and Mrs. Morelli had chased him away. His grandmother had looked sad as she listened to the women talk about him. I was very glad Mrs. Gazarra and Mrs. Costanza had been there. It wasn't fair. Carlos was a hero and Joe Morelli was an evil villain. My mother didn't care about the truth. She only cared about where you were from. I wanted my grandparents home. If they were back from vacation I would run away to their house.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Six Years Old

School will be starting in just three short weeks. I was excited to begin the second grade. This year my grandparents had taken me clothes shopping before they left for vacation and bought me two blue dresses and one red dress. My grandpa had even picked out a pair of red buckle shoes. My mother wasn't happy about it, but told them she was grateful to be able to spend the extra money on Valerie. I learned to spend a lot of time reading in my room. Reading was my escape. In my books I could be the superhero or I could be the princess even if I wasn't one at home.

"Stephanie." My mother called for me.

"Coming." I told her as I put the bookmark into the latest book I was reading.

I jogged down the stairs and went to the kitchen to see what she wanted. I stopped dead in my tracks. She had a bowl and ingredients laid out on the kitchen table. Valerie was standing there in an apron with her hair in a pony tail. I let out a loud and deep sigh. It was cooking lesson time. I think I would rather spend the day listening to my Grandfather and his old army buddies swapping stories. I would rather do anything in the world instead of learning to cook with my mom and sister.

"Get your hair up. You can't have your hair down when you cook." my mother ordered

I ran back up the stairs and threw my crazy curls into a pony tail. I walked slowly back down the stairs. I was trying to put off going back to the kitchen. I hated cooking lessons. I never did a good job. Valerie would pull out a perfect cake and I would pull out a flat rock, I used salt instead of sugar. I used too much sugar. I cooked things too long or not long enough. There was no way to ever make my mother happy. When it came to cooking I could never do anything right. Well, according to my mother there were many things I couldn't do right. I was hovering on the last step when she called out again.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum" she hollered

"I'm coming." I rolled my eyes.

Today the task was to make cabbage rolls. We were half Hungarian and this was a typical Hungarian dish. My first task was to beat one egg and Valerie was to chop up an onion. I tapped the egg on the table and nothing happened. I tapped it again and still nothing. Finally I smashed it hard. The whole think cracked and the egg and shell went half on the floor and half on the table. The slimy egg that landed on the table slid down and slowly dripped down to the floor. My mother tossed a sponge at me and glared. I bent down and cleaned it all up.

"One more chance. We can't afford for you to keep breaking perfectly good eggs." she warned

I finished wiping off the table with a paper towel and then got a new egg. This time I cracked it on the first hit. I smiled to myself and slid the egg into a bowl. I skipped to the trash and threw out the shell. I whipped and whipped that egg. Maybe today would be different. Maybe this time I would be able to follow her directions without making any mistakes. I really wanted my parents to be proud of me for something.

My mother and Valerie were working on the ground beef. They were laughing together as they squished it around in a bowl with their fingers. I stopped and watched them for a minute. I wanted that with my mom or my sister. I wanted to find something that we both liked. I wanted to do it together and laugh with them instead of always disappoint everyone. I was considering trying to disappear having done at least one thing right, but my mother soon started calling out our next set of directions.

"Now Valerie add 1/4 cup chopped onion in with the ground beef." she told my sister before turning back to me. "You need to add 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper Stephanie. After you add that and the salt you can mix yours with the meat in the big bowl."

I nodded and went to the drawer with measuring cups and spoons. I grabbed the measuring cup and carefully poured in 1/4 cup of pepper. I smiled to myself again. This was going great today. This was going to be the day I made her proud.

"How much salt mom?" I asked

"One teaspoon." she told me before looking back at Valerie.

I crossed the kitchen for the measuring spoons as my mom and Valerie were pouring tomato soup in the big bowl. I was watching them for a minute and I guess I zoned out.

"Let's go Stephanie." My mother glared at me.

I found the spoon marked TBS and filled it with salt. I mixed up my egg, salt and pepper and carried it over to add to the big bowl. As I poured it in I realized there was a small piece off egg shell. I grimaced and hoped my mother wouldn't notice. I would wait for her to turn away and then grab it out. But she didn't turn away. She pushed the spoon in to mix it around and quickly spotted the shell piece.

She rolled her eyes as she dug it out. She shook her head at me and shoved me away from the table, but at least she didn't yell. I stepped away and leaned against the wall as I watched the two of them finish mixing. Valerie was instructed to get the water boiling for the rice. My mother pulled out the cabbage leaves and started the water to cook them. I stayed there while they finished everything else. I was as quiet as a mouse hoping that I could just fade into the wall and they would forget I was there.

I watched them roll the meat into the cabbage leaves. Mom let Valerie put a toothpick in each one. My mother pulled up a chair so Valerie could place each one into a sauce pan. Then she handed her the rest of the tomato soup so she could cover them as they began to cook. They smiled and hugged before Valerie hopped off the chair. My mother was sliding the chair back into the kitchen table when she noticed me. She rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Can you at least set the table Stephanie?" she asked me.

"Yes" I forced a smile

I went into the dining room and started pulling out plates. Next I set out the cloth napkins and retrieved the silverware from the China cabinet. I stood looking at the table. This is a job I was good at. The fork goes on the left. Then on the right first the knife and then the spoon. I didn't have to worry about a salad fork because we never had salad. The only salad my dad would ever allow on his table was antipasto. I went to get the glasses next, but made sure to carry only one at a time. I had once tried to carry one in each hand. I had dropped one and ruined my mother's entire glass set. I was grounded from reading for a week for that one.

I heard the front door open and ran to greet my father. He worked for the post office and loved his job. He was always talking about how he needed to go in early and stay late. My mother always nagged him about avoiding his responsibilities at home. She did everything at home and anything that needed fixing or was a 'man's job' would wait until Sunday.

"Hey pumpkin." my dad greeted me with a wave

"Hello Daddy." I smiled

I thought about hugging him but we just didn't do that in our family. Hugging and kissing were not normal things. Not for me anyway. We were seated at the dinner table five minutes before six o'clock. My mother brought out mashed potatoes and Valerie carried out a loaf of bread from the bakery. Finally she brought the stuffed cabbage rolls out.

"Frank, the girls helped with dinner tonight." she paused and smiled at him. "Mostly Valerie and I."

"I set the table." I reminded her

"You sure did." my mother forced a smile.

My father began filing his plate and everything was passed around. As soon as he bit into the cabbage roll he gagged. My mother tried it and had the same reaction. Valerie and I tried it and I knew what was wrong right away. Too much pepper and too much salt. I laid my hands on my lap to pray. Please God don't let her yell and scream. Please don't let her take away my books. Please let this be okay.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum." she glared at me.

"I'm sorry...I..." the tears were welling in my eyes.

"You ruined dinner." my mother told me

"I didn't mean to. I told you I can't cook." I admitted

"How are you going to be a good wife when you get older? What are you going to feed your children?" she asked

"I'm not going to get married ever." I let the ears fall as her jaw dropped.

"You don't mean that. You will change your mind." she set down her fork and left the table.

My father was stuffing his face with the mashed potatoes when I felt Valerie kick me under the table. I looked up at her and she glared at me. She wiggled her head back and forth and made faces at me. I stuck out my tongue and returned her glare. My mother came back into the room with a plate in her hand. She set a meatloaf down and it barely touched the table before my dad was cutting into it.

"I was making a meat loaf for tomorrow night. I guess we will have it tonight." she sighed as she sat down.

"I'm really sorry." I told her

"I'm going to call one of your friends tomorrow to see if you can spend the day with them. I need a break." she held her head like she had a headache.

I wasn't going to say anything I was just glad my books weren't taken away. Glad I wasn't getting a spanking and glad she wasn't screaming. I looked up at the ceiling. Thank you God for headaches.

I woke up early and quickly got dressed. I was wearing one of the blue dresses I had gotten from my grandparents. My hair was a mess. After I took my bath last night I went to sleep with wet hair. I tip toed through the hallway and glanced into my parent's room. No one was there. I snuck into the bathroom and took some of my mother's gel. I ran it through my hair and that seemed to help tame my wild curls. I was wondering who my mother would call today. I hoped it was Eddie or Carl. I love Mary Lou but all she ever wants to play is Barbies. We always have to have a mommy and daddy and they get married and had babies. With Carl and Eddie I could play Wonderwoman or intergalactic princess.

I headed down the stairs for breakfast. I smelled cinnamon rolls in the air and licked my lips. When I got to the kitchen my mother was pulling cinnamon rolls out of the oven. I watched her squeeze the icing on top of them. I could do that. I could cook cinnamon rolls. She turned to place the rolls on the table and caught my eye. She nodded her head down to the rolls and I took one and set it on a plate. I sat down at the table and dug in.

"I have to take your sister shopping again. She forgot a couple of things. I was thinking you could just walk towards Carl and Eddie's houses and see who's home." my mother sat down and grabbed her own cinnamon roll.

"By myself?" I asked

"You will be fine. You're almost seven years old. Just stay on the sidewalk. They only live around the corner and a couple of blocks." my mom shrugged "I called Mary Lou's mom but she has plans all day.

"When can I go?" I asked

"The sooner the better." she smiled

"Okay." I nodded

I stuffed the rest of the cinnamon roll into my mouth and jumped up from the table.

"Hold on!" my mother yelled. "You better go upstairs and clean your hands and face. I don't need you embarrassing me by walking around with food all over you."

"Okay mom." I nodded

I set my plate in the sink and went upstairs to clean up. I hollered goodbye as I stepped out the front door. I decided I would walk to Carl's house since his was the closest. He also lived only three houses down from Carlos' grandmother. Carl's seventh birthday had passed and Carlos wasn't there. I hadn't seen him since the he saved me at the pool. I still felt bad for how my mother treated him when we were at the pool. I wanted to apologize and tell him he was my hero. As far as Morelli goes, I avoided him like the plague. I wanted nothing to do with him. Mary Lou told me stories about the Morelli boys. She said they had special power over girls.

"Hey Cupcake" I heard a male voice call.

I had been watching the sidewalk not to step on any cracks and not paying attention to my surroundings. I looked up and quickly realized I was walking by the Morelli house. This meant I was less than ten houses away from the Costanza home. I glared at Joe Morelli. He was in his driveway standing near the garage door. The door was open. Inside there seemed to be a couch and some chairs.

"Come here." he raised his finger and beckoned me over.

"No way." I told him as I set my hands on my hips.

"Aw, I just want to apologize." he pushed out his bottom lip and moved towards me.

"What?" I was surprised.

"Yeah, I haven't been very nice to you." he put his hands in his pockets.

"That's true." I agreed

"My mom said when you like a girl you pull her hair and do stupid things." he gave me half a smile.

"You like me?" I was confused

"I like you a lot. Like a cupcake. Like the one you had on your shirt." his eyes softened

"The day you and your brother pushed Carl's bike into the street." I reminded him

"Look, I'm real sorry. I just wanted your attention. I wanted you to notice me." he confessed

"Well" I thought for a minute. "Fine it's okay. Thank you for saying sorry."

He stared at me for a minute and then cocked his head to the side. "Wanna play?"

"Uhm. I don't know. I am supposed to go to Carl's house." I bit my lower lip

"Is he your boyfriend?" Morelli asked

"No." I quickly answered "He's my best friend."

"I can be your friend too. Come on. Come check out my garage." he waved his whole hand to guide me forward.

When I didn't move Morelli walked to me until he was close enough to grab my hand. I let him take it and start pulling me to the garage. I was curious of what was in there. I was not only told to stay away from 'those Morelli boys', recently my mother had told me to stay away from their garage. I knew this was probably a bad idea but I was so curious I couldn't help myself.

He pulled me into the garage and I looked around. They had an old TV with an antenna on top. The antenna was wrapped in foil. There was a couch and two chairs. Towards the back of the garage there was an old curtain. It was hanging from the ceiling and reached all of the way to the floor. There was a dart board against one wall. There was also a ping pong table nestled against the other wall.

"This is pretty cool." I nodded

"Thanks. It's a great place to hang out and stay out of the sun. It will also keep you warm in the winter." he smiled

"What's behind the curtain?" I asked

"Come on." he pulled me towards it.

He pulled the curtain over and there was a chair and an old army cot snug against the wall. I looked around more and noticed there were more curtains around the sides. With three curtains it was like it's own little room.

"Wanna play a game?" he asked

I let go of his hand. "What game?"

"Choo choo." he answered

"Choo choo?" I asked

"Yes. I will be the train and you can be the tunnel." he smiled

"I want to be the train." I told him.

"You can't be the train. You have the tunnel. I don't have a tunnel." he informed me.

"How does it work? I usually like to play hide and seek or tag." I explained

"This is a big kid game. It's not for babies." he sat down on the cot.

"I'm not a baby. I will be seven in two months. I am going into the second grade." I glared

He held up both hands "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were so mature."

"Well, that's right. I am." I nodded "Just how old are you?"

"I'm about to be nine." he pushed out his chest. "I am going into the fourth grade."

"Wow" I was impressed

"So do you want to try it?" he asked

"What do I have to do?" I asked

"You sit in the chair." he held out his hand motioning to the chair.

I moved to it and sat down. "Now what?"

"Now you have to take off your panties." he smiled

"My what? My panties? No way." I immediately squeezed my legs closed tight.

"But they're covering the tunnel." he told me

"Are you sure the big kids play this game? It sounds weird." I questioned

"All of the big kids play this game. Only mature kids are asked to do it." he had one hand on his hip.

"Why can't I be the train?" I asked

"You don't have a train." he told me

"You do?" I asked

"I have an engine and a caboose." he nodded

"Where?" I asked

He held up one finger. "This is the caboose."

"And the engine?" I asked

"That one is hidden. You only get to see the engine if you are a good girl. The engine is very big." he stated

I thought about what he was saying. I wanted to be mature. I wanted him to think I was a big kid and not a baby.

"Do you play choo choo a lot?" I asked

"Only with special girls." he moved closer to me.

He fell down onto his knees in front of me and placed both hands on my thighs. He rubbed back and forth and my whole body stiffened. He reached under my dress and touched the sides of my panties. He played with the sides but didn't try to pull them down.

"I don't think I want to do this." I admitted.

"It's too late. You can't say no now. You agreed to play when you sat in the chair." he leaned his head down and looked up my dress. "Poka dots again."

"Well, yeah but... I really don't..." I bit into my lower lip.

I wanted to get up and run. I wanted to get out of here. I was getting scared. I wanted his hands off of me, but I didn't know what to say. I guess it was my fault for going into the garage. I guess I did say yes when I sat in the chair. I wiggled a little hoping it would make his hands fall from my legs but he gripped tight. I felt a single tear drop slide down my cheek and I knew I had to get out of here. I tried to stand up but he held onto my legs and pushed down so I couldn't stand.

"Please Joe. Let me get up. I don't want to play this game." I tried to push his hands away.

"You should feel very lucky. This is a secret game and I only show it to special girls. I told you I like you. I want to be your boyfriend." he whispered the last sentence as he leaned in closer.

"I don't want to play." I whined

"Just try it." he pleaded

He grabbed the sides of my panties. I grabbed the bottom of the chair and pushed my butt down. I hoped this would stop my panties from coming down. He pulled tight and I felt them slowly pass my butt. He got them to my thighs. I looked up at his face and he had a big smile. His eyes focused on my legs and I closed my eyes. I was willing him to stop as I felt another tear fall.

"Please." I choked out

"I know you want to play. You don't have to say please." I could hear the teasing in his voice.

"Stop and let her go." My eyes snapped open when I heard the voice.

We both turned to see who was talking. It was Carlos. He was holding the curtain open and he was glaring at Morelli. Morelli rolled his eyes and kept a firm grip on my panties.

"Get out of my garage and mind your own business." He told Carlos.

"She is my business." he glared at Morelli.

Carlos stepped inside and the curtain fell behind him. He moved towards us and grabbed Morelli's hair. He pulled him back and Morelli released my panties and fell onto his butt. I used the opportunity to pull up my panties. Carlos reached out his hand and I took it. He pulled me to my feet just as Morelli made his way to his feet.

"Look little jerk, you're messing up our game." he glared

"Game over." Carlos growled

He tugged on my hand and moved me behind him before he let go. Morelli took a step towards us and I cowered behind Carlos. Morelli didn't stop till he was inches from Carlos. He raised his finger and poked Carlos in the chest.

"You need to get out before I punch you in the face. Cupcake is with me and we are about to play a game."

"Cupcake?" Carlos asked

"Yeah. Cupcake." Morelli sneered. "Soft and sweet."

"She's not food." Carlos corrected him

They were staring at each other. I guess they were playing the staring game. Neither one of them moved. I waited a few seconds before I grabbed the back of Carlos' shirt. I leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

"I want to leave."

"You need to stay away from her." Carlos threatened him as he took a step back.

He reached behind him and wrapped his arm around me. His hand was at my back and he pulled me close to him. He moved back and I moved with him. Morelli took another step towards us. Carlos took another step back and Morelli smirked.

"Look Manoso, she likes me and she came in here because she wanted to. We are going to play this game and you are going to go home." Morelli told him

It was the first time I had heard Carlos' last name. I gulped wondering what was going to happen. I was worried for Carlos and there was no way I was sticking around to play any game with Joe Morelli. I was already mad at myself for believing he was sorry. I was stupid to think playing with an older boy would make me cool. More tears were coming. I didn't want Carlos to get hurt. Before I could even have another thought Carlos pounced.

He landed on Joe's chest and Joe fell back. Carlos straddled him and rained down punches. His fists were landing on Morelli's face. When Morelli covered his face Carlos slid back and added some body punches. When he heard Morelli start crying he stopped and stood up. He stood over him looking down. I glanced down and saw blood. Morelli had blood dripping from his nose and lip.

"Leave me alone. Take her and leave." Morelli sniffled as he kept his arms wrapped over his eyes.

"You will leave her alone. You will stay away from her." Carlos ordered

"Fine. Just leave me alone,. She's a baby anyway." Morelli snarled

"She's no baby." he glanced back at me. "She is a babe though."

I felt the red flush through my cheeks and I smiled. My eyes were instantly dry and I wiped away the tracks from my earlier tears. Carlos stepped away from Morelli and took my hand. He pulled me through the curtain and out of the garage. He didn't speak as he led me down the driveway. He pulled me along the sidewalk and after we passed a couple of houses he pulled me through the grass. I thought it was his house but I wasn't sure. We moved to the back yard and then he let go of my hand. He waved towards the porch and I sat on the steps.

"Are you okay?" he bent down in front of me.

"I am now." I smiled at him. "Thank you so much."

"Babe" he leaned back and stood in front of me.

"Babe?" I asked

He shrugged. "It's what my sister's boyfriend calls her. He said it means she's beautiful."

"You think I'm beautiful?" I laughed and even snorted.

My hand flew up to cover my face. I was so embarrassed. This guy was telling me I was beautiful and I just snorted. Snorting like a pig is not at all beautiful.

"If you don't like that I can call you querida." he flashed me a smile. (darling/dear)

"What does that mean?" I asked

"That's my secret."

"Okay then I'll stick with Babe or Steph." I returned his smile.

He nodded but didn't speak. He moved to the steps and sat down next to me.

"I didn't see you all summer. I haven't seen you since you saved me at the pool." I told him.

"My mom broke her arm. I had to stay home in Newark and help her last summer." he explained

"And this summer?" I asked

"I've been around." he told me

"I didn't see you." I was curious

"I've seen you." he smiled

"Are you watching me?" I asked

"I just want to keep you safe." he admitted

Wow. I didn't know what to say to that. I just sat there silently. My hands were resting on my legs and his hand moved over and gripped one of mine. He laced our fingers together and let them rest on his leg. It felt nice. With Morelli it was creepy and his hand was sweaty. With Carlos it was a comfort. I leaned closer and let my head fall onto his shoulder. We sat there silently for quite a while. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to ask him a million questions, but I was afraid to ruin the moment. I was afraid he would disappear.

"You didn't go to Carl's birthday party." I told him.

"No." he agreed

I nodded but didn't say anything.

"Is he your boyfriend?" he asked

"No" I laughed "He's my best friend."

"You don't have a boyfriend?" he asked

"No." I laughed again. "Who would want me?"

He kissed the top of my head and my eyes grew wide. What in the world just happened? I got my first kiss! Oh my God. I got my first kiss. It didn't feel funny or gross. It felt nice. It made me warm all over. We heard the door open behind us and we both turned to see his grandmother step onto the porch. She smiled at us and we both jumped to our feet.

"Abuela Rosa this is Steph." he introduced us.

"Hello Mrs. Rosa." I smiled

"Just call me Abuela." she patted me gently on the shoulder.

"Yes ma'am Abuela." I still had the smile plastered to my face.

"Come inside. We will make cookies." she waved us in.

"I can't..." I panicked

"You can." she smiled at me as I followed Carlos inside.

Her kitchen was warm and welcoming. The walls were a light yellow and the window above the sink had the curtains open to let the sun shine in. We followed her to the kitchen table and she motioned for us to take our seats. She read out the directions and handed us measuring cups and spoons one at a time. When it was a teaspoon of salt she handed me the teaspoon. When we were finished she put the cookies into the oven.

She poured us milk while we waited and we all sat at the table. She asked me questions about school. I told her how I loved to read and she told me she was the same as a young girl. The oven beeped before we knew it. She pulled out the cookies and let us take turns using the spatula to take them off the pan. We only had to wait a couple of minutes for them to cool down enough for us to eat. I took a bite and relaxed. They were perfect.

"You two did an excellent job." she told us after she took a bite.

"Really?" I asked

"Yes. I am very proud of you both." she smiled

Her smile was contagious and I felt a big one spread across my face. We stayed at the table and talked. Well, Abuela and I talked. Carlos mostly listened. I noticed the sun was beginning to go down and sighed. I didn't want to leave.

"It's time for you to go home isn't it?" she asked as I nodded.

"Wait right here." she told me as she left the room.

She returned quickly and handed me a book. I looked at the cover and read the title.

"Beauty and the Beast." I stated

"It is one of my favorites." she explained

"It looks interesting." I told her as I handed it back.

"It's yours." she held up her hand.

"I'll return it as soon as I'm done." I told her

"No querida. It's yours to keep." she smiled

"Thank you." I jumped up from my seat.

I moved around the table and gave her a big hug. She squeezed me tight and kissed my cheek.

"You are a smart and beautiful girl Stephanie." she told me as I beamed.

"I need to walk her home." Carlos told her as she nodded.

He got to his feet and grabbed my hand. She glanced down at our hands linked together.

"Is she your girlfriend Carlos?" she asked him

He shrugged and squeezed my hand.

"You have a nice friend." she told him before turning to me. "You are welcome to come back anytime you would like."

"Thank you." I told her

"Come right back home." she warned Carlos as he nodded.

He walked me home. He held my hand the whole walk, but didn't say a word. We got close to my house and he pulled me over by the bush. He moved in front of me and just stared at my face for the longest time before he spoke.

"I will miss you Babe." he half whispered

"When will I see you again?" I asked

"Next summer I have to help my father at the family business, but I will try to come when I can." he explained.

"I really will miss you." I felt my eyes well with tears and one was slowly escaping down my face.

He lifted his hand and wiped it away. He leaned in and kissed my cheek where the tear was. He let go of my hand and stepped back.

"Be safe and stay away from the Morelli boy." he told me

"I will." I nodded

He walked away and my hand flew to my cheek where he had kissed me. Today was the perfect day. I turned and ran into the house to start reading my new book.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Eight years old

I sat in my front yard with my back resting against a tree It was hot outside and the tree gave me some shade. I dug into my pocket for my bookmark. I pulled out the triangle shaped paper and flipped it around my fingers. I closed the book I was reading and placed the folded paper in between the pages. I sighed as I allowed my head to gently fall back against the soft bark of the tree. I closed my eyes and let out another deep sigh. This summer really sucked. There were still three weeks left until school started and I was clinging on to the hope that Carlos might appear. I hadn't seem him since our first kiss the summer before last.

Pictures of Abuela filled my mind. Ever since Carlos had introduced us and she allowed me into her home I felt a connection with her. I made up reasons to be able to walk by her house or just stop in and say hello. Part of it was hoping to run into Carlos but even when I knew he wouldn't be there I wanted to see her. I craved the love and support of a mother and she seemed to accept me for who I am. She never lectured me on how I should behave and didn't point out my flaws.

Last summer I spent nearly every day with her. I spent more time there than I did at home. I helped her with chores and taking care of her garden. Instead of cooking we focused on baking. We baked a lot of desserts. When something turned out wrong she taught me to laugh about it rather than fear being yelled at. We even had tea parties and read together. She encouraged me to make up my own stories and she would listen to me drone on for hours. No one seemed to even realize it when I wasn't around so much. I am sure my mom was relieved because I wasn't around to embarrass and annoy her. She assumed I was just playing with my friends. I did still play with Eddie and Carl, but Mary Lou was still playing Barbies.

Last year when my grandparents left for their yearly vacation they took me with them to South Carolina. I saw the sights and played at the beach. It was a great escape. As soon as I got home I rushed to see Abuela. I was excited to tell her all about my vacation and to give her the seashells I had brought back for her. I was hoping Carlos would be there. Summer was almost over. I was smiling when I knocked on her back door, but she greeted me with a sullen face.

I had just missed Carlos. He had been working for the family business. They owned two cafes in Newark and he was needed for various jobs. Abuela had explained to me that money was tight. Having Carlos work for free saved his family money. Also Carlos worked harder than most of the paid employees. He had made it to Abuela's for two weeks and I had been gone for three. She explained that he had arrived a day after I left with my grandparents. and had departed the day before I came home.

"He really wanted to see you." she had told me. "He asked how you were and what you were doing. He was worried about you and had hoped that I had seen you around town."

I nodded and sniffled before she pulled me into her arms.

"He was so happy Estefania. He was so happy when I told him about our times together. His eyes shined with pride when I told him how much you helped me. He asked me to give this to you."

I pulled back and she handed me a piece of paper that was all folded up into a small triangle. I recognized this from school. Many of the boys at school would write notes to the girls and then flick it across the classroom like a football. I glanced up at her and she nodded and waved towards the glider that sat in her yard. I skipped to the seat and opened the note as soon as I got settled.

 _Steph,_

 _No. I don't flick football notes to girls at school. This is my first football that has a note inside and it's only for you. I'm sorry I missed seeing you. Thank you for taking care of my Abuela I am so proud of you for helping to care for her and keeping her company. I wanted to see you, but my family needs me there. I hope you had a great vacation with your grandparents.  
_

 _My Abuela says your chocolate chip cookies are now better than hers. She also says you are a great reader. She says lots of great things about you. She says I have to write something about myself. I am becoming king of the brooms and mops at the cafe'.  
_

 _I will be back to visit as soon as I can. Stay safe and take care of yourself. There's only one Babe for me so don't hold hands with anyone else.  
_

 _Carlos_

I read the note through three times before I walked back to Abuela. She smiled and patted my head.

"I helped him with the spelling." she winked at me before we both chuckled.

I followed her into the house and we used cookies and milk to chase away the blues.

This summer was no better and I was really starting to believe Carlos had forgotten me by now. Abuela had gone to Miami to help her sister who had hip replacement surgery. I had declined my grandparents invite to go with them on their vacation to Virginia this year. I know my mother would prefer if I wasn't around the house, so I found new places to go. I spent a lot of time at the library getting new books. It also served as my retreat on a rainy day. My adventure each day was finding a new place to hide so I could read. Every so often I would go to Abuela's house and sit on the glider in her backyard.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum." I heard my mother holler from the front porch.

"Coming." I hollered as I jumped to my feet.

I turned around the corner of the house and saw her standing on the top of the porch with her hands on her hips.

"You're going to be late." she glared at me

"Oh! I forgot." I suddenly remembered we had to go to Carl's birthday party.

"I'm not surprised. All you do is read books. You need to focus on the people around you instead of the weirdos in those books you read." she shook her head

"I'm sorry." I jumped up the stairs and she stopped me.

"What's this one?" she grabbed my wrist and tore the book away from my hand.

"A book from the school reading list." I explained.

"To Kill A Mockingbird is on your list?" she rolled her eyes. "This is too mature for you."

"Well, not exactly..." I hesitated

"What do you mean?" she squeezed my wrist

"It's on a school reading list." I was honest

"Yours?" she was confused

I shook my head no before I spoke "It's from Valerie's list."

My mother laughed. "So you thought you were smart enough to read one of her books?"

I was speechless. My mother said a lot of things to me but she never told me she thought I wasn't smart. Maybe she was just talking about the reading level. I dismissed her comment and then she spoke again.

"Valerie doesn't have months for you to stumble through this book. You probably have to look up so many words you can't even understand the story. Just stick to your own list." she warned

"But I..." I closed my mouth quickly. I quickly regretted saying anything.

"You what? You didn't even finish your list did you?" she rolled her eyes

"I did. I finished it and this was the last one on Val's list." I confessed

"Yeah right." she laughed "You read your whole list as well as your sisters'?"

I nodded.

"When did I raise such a liar?" She sighed as I followed her into the house. "How am I ever going to get you married off?"

"I don't want to get married." I told her

"Every girl wants to get married. I just don't understand you. Valerie gives you one of her old Barbies every time she gets a new one. Your grandfather built you a Barbie house and you never play with them." she motioned for me to sit down on the couch.

"I don't like Barbies." I admitted as I sat down

"Every little girl likes Barbies. You can't spend your whole life in a fantasy world. All you do is read books and play silly make believe games. You're almost nine years old. You need to start acting like a lady." she heaved out a big sigh.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I didn't speak.

"This fall I have signed you up for etiquette classes." she glared at me with a look that challenged me to try and argue.

"Don't look at me like that." she ordered "I did look into a sport like you asked me to do."

"Softball? Martial Arts?" I leaned forward with an excited smile.

"Ballroom dancing." she smiled

I rolled my eyes and heaved out a sigh. She ignored me and looked at the clock. "Get your bag it's time for Carl's party."

I nodded and headed towards my room. I grabbed my bag and wet back down the stairs to wait by the door. This year Carl was having a camp out in his back yard. I was excited for the adventure and even though I knew Carlos wouldn't be there I still clung to the hope that he might show up.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Costanza." I greeted Carl's mom when she answered he door.

I looked up at my mother hoping that she had noticed my good manners but she just stared straight ahead. "Stephanie will walk home tomorrow when the party is over. I have to take Valerie to get fitted for her first communion dress."

"That's fine. I'll make sure she gets home." Mrs. Costanza told my mother.

My mother handed her the gift for Carl and then turned and stepped off the porch. She turned back and gave me a forced smile. "Have fun."

Mrs. Costanza looked at her for a minute and then back at me. She shook her head before she wrapped her arm around my shoulders and guided me into the house. She led me into the kitchen where Carl waited with a bunch of our classmates. Mrs. Costanza was one of those moms who never wanted anyone to feel left out. She invited the whole class. Anthony Morelli was there. He had been a grade above us but got left back and attended first grade with me and now would be joining us in the second grade. I glanced around and let out a deep breath when I saw his brother Joe was not there.

Carl came over and gave me a hug and then a punch on the arm. I felt someone glaring at me and looked to find Joyce Barnhardt shoving chips in her mouth and giving me the stink eye. I glanced around and saw Mary Lou talking to a new girl named Madison. Carl's mom shouted for us all to go outside to wait for pizza.

Ten tents were already set up in the backyard. It looked like they would each sleep four people and that was a good thing because I had already counted about twenty kids here. Carl always had the biggest birthday party of the year. His parents always had the best food and original ideas. They also gave the best goody bags. I was pulled from my thoughts when water hit my face. I wiped my eyes to find Anthony Morelli with a water gun aimed at me.

"Here." Carl yelled at me.

I turned to see him toss a water gun at me and I was lucky to catch it. I aimed it at Anthony and fired back.

"I can't wait to tell Joe I shot his girlfriend." he laughed

"I'm not his girlfriend." I frowned as I shot him again.

"Cut that out." he ordered

"Then take back what you said." I commanded

"Will not." he spat out as he ran away.

I chased him around the yard. Everyone was shooting and laughing. I forgot about Anthony when Eddie shot water at my butt. We laughed and went after Carl next. Mary Lou and Joyce both screamed when the boys got their hair wet but my cousin Shirley was the most amusing. She whined about the hot weather. She whined about the water. She whined about the bugs outside. Shirley whined about everything.

Suddenly I felt something slam into my head and then I was drenched with water. I wiped my eyes and looked around to find Joe Morelli. I glared at him. He had a water balloon in his hand. His mother was beside him with a giant pail of water balloons.

"Oh Angie! I didn't know you were bringing Joe." Mrs. Costanza came rushing outside.

"Yeah, he wanted to help out supervising the little ones. He spent all morning filling water balloons for them to play with." Mrs. Morelli beamed

"Yes, I can see that." Mrs. Costanza didn't sound excited

"Well, I can take him home if he's not wanted." Mrs. Morelli told her.

The Burg manners kicked in and Carl's mom smiled. "Of course he's welcome."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Great a night with Morelli the jerk. His brother was bad enough but now I would have to deal with Joe too. I looked down at the ground and slowly walked towards the back of the yard. The tents were sectioned off from the play area with rope. I looked around and saw in the middle of the tents was a fire pit. I was hoping we would make 'smores. That was one thing positive to focus on. I felt a tingle on the back of my neck and my head snapped up.

"Hey Carlos." I heard Carl go to greet our friend.

He was standing with his Abuela on the back porch next to Carl's mom. He greeted Carl with a fist bump but his eyes were clearly focused on me. I half skipped straight to the porch. I felt something hard hit my shin and tumbled to the ground right into a puddle of mud. The ground had been dry before our water fight, but of course I found the one pile of mud our water had created. I looked up to find Carlos' hand reaching out for me. I took it and he pulled me up to my feet.

I looked around and saw Joyce smiling at me. It was her leg that had tripped me. I sniffled and held back the tears as I looked down to check myself out. My dress and legs were covered with mud. I looked awful. I glanced up at Carlos with tears welling in my eyes and was greeted with a smile. He looked at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world.

"Stephanie." Abuela came up beside us.

"I'm sorry..." I began

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Carl's mom told me as she sent a quick glare to Joyce.

"I ruined the party." I pouted.

Mrs. Costanza laughed "No you didn't. You just made it more exciting."

Eddie moved over and jumped in the mud. It splashed on Joyce and he and Carl laughed.

"Wait!" Mrs. Costanza laughed "Go change into your bathing suits so I can wash whatever clothes are dirty."

Joyce was the first one headed towards the door to change. I glanced down at my hand realizing Carlos was still holding on to me. I glanced up at Abuela and she gave me a bright smile. She leaned in and grasped me around the shoulders and gave me a hug without getting mud on herself. She kissed the top of my head and winked at me.

"I'm so glad you're back." I told her

"Some boy called me and said I needed to get back. He felt like his friend needed him and he was able to come visit me for a couple of weeks." she explained

I glanced at Carlos but he had no expression on his face. She leaned down and kissed his head before she wished us both a fun night. She promised to pick us up in the morning and go for donuts.

Twenty minutes later we were all in our bathing suits running around the back yard. Carlos was wearing black trunks with batman symbols on them. I was jealous that he got to wear superheros. I could no longer fit into my favorite blue bathing suit my grandparents had bought me. My new suit my mother chose was pink with purple polka dots. I hate polka dots. Water flowed from guns and balloons crashed down on heads. Carl's mom pulled out a slip and slide and I watched the kids slide down it. Carlos was standing beside me but we hadn't spoken to each other much since he arrived. I kept watching the other kids on the slip and slide and I wanted my turn. I wanted to run and jump and glide across the yard like I was flying.

"Go for it." he told me as he nodded towards the slide.

I smiled and walked over to wait my turn. I was standing behind Joyce but keeping my distance. I didn't trust her at all. I glanced over at Carlos. He had joined Carl and Eddie as they sat in lawn chairs watching the slide. I noticed Carlos sit up straighter and place his hands on his knees. I felt someone behind me and looked to see Joe Morelli leering at me.

"Why aren't you wearing a bikini? You look like a baby." he teased me

I ignored him but looked around to see all of the other girls there wore two piece bathing suits. I was the only one in a one piece. I heaved out a deep breath and focused on the slide. I watched Joyce run and throw herself onto the wet canvas. She landed on her butt however she didn't stay upright. She fell to her side and rolled all around. She screeched as she slithered all the way to the pool at the end. I found a smile creeping across my face. The bottom of her suit had slipped down a bit exposing part of her butt. Anthony whistled and she blushed. She smiled at him before she pulled her suit back into place.

I took a few steps back and then ran full out. Right before I hit the slide I threw my hands forward like I was flying. I landed on my belly and the air left my body. I watched as I soared towards the pool at the end. I flew through it and landed in the mud. There was laughing and I looked around to see Eddie, Carl and Carlos holding up all of their fingers.

"Perfect 10's" Eddie smiled.

I couldn't help but smile with them and jumped to my feet. I went over to the chairs and joined in on the scoring. After a while I walked away to rinse myself off with a sprinkler and decided to try the slide again. I found myself behind Madison this time. She kept staring over my shoulder so I turned to see what had caught her attention. It was Joe Morelli. He smiled at me and I rolled my eyes. Why did he always choose to bother me if I was such a baby? I heaved out a sigh and glanced over at Carlos, he was smiling at me. I was so happy to see him. I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could. I was picturing us sitting by the fire and him holding my hand.

Suddenly I felt arms wrap around my waist and I was being lifted off of my feet. I quickly realized it was Joe Morelli. He ran and then flopped us both down on the slide. We rode to the end on our butts with his arms and legs wrapped around me. When we got to the end I struggled to get out of his grip.

"What's your hurry Cupcake?" he squeezed his arms around me tighter.

I heard him yelp and then he released me. I turned to see Carlos standing behind him. I wasn't sure what exactly happened but I quickly jumped to my feet. I went to his side and he grabbed my hand. Without a second look he pulled me away from the slide. He tugged me over to the chairs and we sat together with Eddie and Carl.

Mrs. Costanza turned off and put away all of the water activities. She informed us the pizza was on the way and ordered us all to get changed. I went to her laundry room to look for my dress when she appeared in the doorway.

"I'm sorry Stephanie. Your dress disappeared. I have no idea what happened to it. I looked everywhere. " she explained before she pulled out a bag.

"Carlos' grandma stopped by to check on things and brought you some clothes." she informed me.

"Thank you." I told her with a smile as she handed me a bag.

"The girls are changing in the bedrooms upstairs and the boys in the bathroom and guest room down here." she explained as she ushered me towards the stairs.

When I reached the top of the stairs all of the doors were shut. I listened by the first door and heard voices.

"Who does she think she is?" the feminine voice said.

"Joe is following her around like a puppy dog." another voice answered

I realized it was Joyce and Madison.

"By the end of the night I will have Carlos following me around like a puppy." Joyce laughed

"Joe is mine." Madison told her

"And little weirdo can have Carl and Eddie." they both exploded in laughter.

"I don't know what makes her think she is so special." Joyce ended the laughter

"Carl's mom thinks she walks on water." I could hear Madison rolling her eyes.

"She's a loser. She has boring mousy brown hair. Those freaking curls all over the place. She looks crazy." Madison continued.

"Her own mother doesn't even like her. I heard her tell my mom they should have stopped after Valerie." Joyce announced as both girls giggled.

I felt a tear slide down my cheek. I turned and ran right into Carlos. He pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around me. I could feel his breath on my ear. He didn't say anything he just rubbed my back. He pulled me away and ushered me towards the bathroom door. He opened it and turned on the light. He pushed me inside and then closed the door.

I looked into the bag Carl's mom had given me to see what Abuela had brought. It was leggings, a tank top and hooded sweat shirt. Everything was blue and everything had the Wonderwoman logo on it. The tank top had a picture of Wonderwoman on it. At the bottom of the bag was the set of the Wonderwoman underoos I had so desperately begged my mother for. Everything had brand new tags on them. I knew she had gone to the store after she saw my muddy dress and got these things just for me. I wondered if she took my dress.

I came out of the bathroom beaming to find Carlos leaning against the wall next to the bathroom door. He turned to face me and reached out to tuck a piece of my curly hair behind my ear.

"They're all jealous of you. You are always the most beautiful girl in the room. You are the smartest girl in the room and you are mine." he half whispered

"Yours?" I asked

He shrugged "When I think of you in my head I always think 'my Babe'"

"I like the sound of that." I admitted as he leaned in and kissed my cheek.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me downstairs. We all ate pizza and played board games while Mr. and Mrs. Costanza set up the back yard. The sun was setting when we were ushered out into the back yard. There were tiki lights set up and twinkle lights around the fence. We were given an hour to play before they would light the fire for hot dogs and smores.

"Let's play sardines." Carl suggested

"How do you play that?" Madison asked.

"One person goes and hides. Then we let out a person every three minutes. Your goal is to find the person hiding and hide with them. The loser is the one who remains searching for the group." he explained

"Can we work in teams?" Joyce asked as she slid up next to Carlos.

Carl shrugged. "I wouldn't. Imagine you see the person hiding but I am right next to you also looking. You would want to leave that area and keep hunting until you were alone. Then you run back and hide with them."

"So we all end up squished together?" Anthony asked

"Just like sardines." Carl nodded

"So who goes first?" Eddie asked

"Pick a number." Carl announced as he held his hands behind his back.

We all took turns guessing until a boy Carl called Big Dog chose the correct number. I thought it was a good thing because he would need to find a big spot to hide himself and that would leave more room for the sardines. He was given eight minutes to hide and then we would start coming out one person every three minutes.

I sat next to Carlos with Joyce on his other side. She was sitting so close to him their legs were touching, I felt this weird feeling in my stomach. I wanted to punch her in the face. I was full of anger towards her and I wanted her away from Carlos. This was a totally new feeling for me. He leaned in close and I could feel his breath on my ear.

"It's jealousy." he explained

I glared at him and squished up my nose. "My Abuela loves you."

"What?" I was confused

"She thinks we're going to get married some day." he laughed

"I don't want to get married ever." I explained

"I don't either." he smiled at me

"Does that mean I'm not yours?" I whispered

"You'll always be mine." he grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"Your turn Steph." Carl said as he checked out his new watch.

I left the crowd that was gathered by the porch and ventured into the backyard. I glanced back at Carlos and saw Joyce laughing and trying to talk to him. I heaved a sigh and headed out in search of Big Dog. I couldn't find him anywhere. I searched the tents. I searched the big wooden shed. Still nothing. I heard footsteps near me and realized it had been three minutes and Carl sent out the next seeker. I turned around and came face to face with Joyce.

"Hello Stephanie." she smiled her fake smile.

"Go away." I told her

"I'm waiting for Carlos. I promised him I would wait for him so we could search together." she smirked

"Sure." I gave her my best whatever face.

"Did you honestly think he would want you when he could have someone like me?" she asked

I walked away from her and said nothing. Maybe she was right. She was beautiful even with her Ronald McDonald hair. I went to the other side of the yard and finally found Big Dog. He was inside the small plastic shed that held pool supplies. He kept his finger to his mouth reminding me to be quiet as I moved in and stood beside him. We stood there for a while and then heard footsteps. When the door opened it was Joe Morelli

I felt a chill run through my body as he moved to stand next to me.

"Hello cupcake." he whispered.

"My name is Stephanie." I corrected him as I moved closer to Big Dog.

"Okay Steph." he smirked and grabbed my hand.

"Let go." I ordered

"Nope." his lips made a popping noise on the letter p.

"Be quiet" Big Dog reminded us.

The door opened and Madison slid in. She moved up next to Joe watching Big Dog as he once again held his finger up to his mouth. When she shut the door it was dark inside. Joe was still holding my hand and I squeezed it tight trying to get him to release me. She moved in close to him before she shut the door. Joe moved around me and slid in on the other side. He released one hand and grabbed the other.

Madison reached a hand over and when she felt my fingernails she quickly pulled her hand back. We waited in silence with Joe holding my hand. His hand was sweaty and clammy. Not at all like my Carlos' hand. I felt Madison's hand on my arm and then she pinched me. I let out a yelp before Big Dog shushed me. I closed my eyes and imagined I was in Abuela's kitchen reading her books as she baked cakes.

The door opened and Anthony slid in. Great. I thought as I rolled my eyes. This was a nightmare. I was stuck in here with two Morellis, Joyce Barnhardt and Madison Petrisino. Big Dog was the only one that didn't hate me. Well, I hope he didn't. The door opened again and it was some boy I didn't know well. I think his name was Sal. I still had Joe on one side holding my hand. His other hand started stroking my arm. Madison reached over and pinched my arm. I elbowed her and she yelped. I stepped hard down on Joe's foot and he growled as he released me.

Tears were falling slowly down my face. I wiped them away with the back of my hand. The door opened again and I snapped my head to see Carlos enter. He came straight to me and pulled me into a hug.

"Are you okay?" he whispered my ear

"No." I answered him as I sniffled.

"What happened?" he asked

"Morelli was holding my hand. Madison was pinching me." I explained as more tears fell.

He pulled me back and wiped at my tears.

"Stay by me tonight." he ordered as I nodded.

Carl opened the door. "Hot dog time."

I blew out a deep breath. I was grateful the game was over. Carlos grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the small shed. We went towards the fire and sat down on one of the logs the Costanzas had set out for us Hot dogs and sticks were passed around. We ate the hot dogs before we moved onto the marshmallows. Carlos seemed to enjoy heating up marshmallows for me. I had three smores before I finally felt full.

Mrs. Costanza sent us to our tents. I was in a tent with Mary Lou, Joyce and Madison. I slipped into my sleeping bag and closed my eyes. Mary Lou fell asleep right away. Joyce and Madison were whispering. I couldn't really make out what they were talking about me or boys. I crawled out of the sleeping bag and moved out of the the tent. I went behind one of the tents and plopped down into the grass, I gathered my knees up to my chest.

I heard a noise and glanced over to see Carlos. He moved to sit down next to me but didn't say anything. I glanced up at the stars.

"Do you see the big dipper?" he asked me.

"Which one is it?" I asked

Carlos preceded to name off the different stars. Morelli turned the corner and stopped short when he saw us together.

"I thought you were my girlfriend." Joe said as he reached out for me.

"She is with me" Carlos told him.

"We'll see." Morelli smirked "I have all school year to win her over."

"Not gonna happen." Carlos told him.

"Well there's nothing you can do about it" Morelli challenged him.

With that Morelli walked away.

I whispered to Carlos. "Thank you for coming."

"I tried to get back sooner." he explained.

"I missed you." I told him

"I missed you too babe." he took in a deep breath. "I understand if you want to hold hands with someone else after I leave."

"No. I'll wait," I told him quickly told him

"Me too." he agreed

"I am so gad you came. I don't know what wold have happened if you weren't here." I admitted

"I will always protect you." He squeezed my hand. "Just try to stay away from Morelli. He is crazy about you."

"He is so gross." I stuck out my tongue and made a noise like I was throwing up.

"I have to go home in two weeks. I want you to read me books. I want to cook with you." he told me

"Sounds like the perfect summer." I smiled and squeezed his hand.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- Ten years old.

I was sitting in Abuela's kitchen reading her a story as she frosted the cake she had just baked. I was reading the second Harry Potter book out loud. She occasionally stopped me to comment on the story. I found myself spending lots of time with her even when Carlos wasn't around. Carlos did not come last summer and he hadn't yet come this summer. Abuela didn't really know when or if he would come. She explained that his parents had four daughters and another son. They also had two cafe's to keep them busy.

"Abuela?" I set down the book and looked up at her.

"Yes?" she asked

"Forget it." I shook my head as I picked the book back up

"What is it? You know you can tell me anything Estefania." she walked over to the table and patted my hand.

"Does Carlos have a girlfriend in Newark?" I bit into my lower lip.

"He has a girlfriend in Trenton." she smiled at me

"He never calls me his girlfriend. He didn't even come at all last summer." I sighed

"He doesn't call you his girlfriend because he can't be with you all of the time. I think he feels guilty." she moved into the seat across from me.

"I don't understand." I told her

"When he is in Newark he is busy. He has to clean both cafe's. Two of his sisters are away at College. His other two sisters are involved in the high school world of parties and boys. His younger brother is lazy. He takes all of the responsibility onto himself. My son has a bad back and can't do so much. My daughter-in-law works hard but she is only one person." she got up to pour some iced tea.

"Does he think about me?" I wondered

"Do you think about him?" she asked

"All the time." I quickly answered

"I think his answer would be the same." she gave me a smile as she poured a glass of tea for me.

"Maybe he doesn't come so much because I am here all the time? Maybe he wants to see you but not me." I took a drink

"No Estefania." she shook her head. "It gives him great comfort to know you are here."

"I'm sorry. I just...well I miss him." I admitted

"Let's call him" she suggested

"Call him?" I was surprised

"Yes on the phone." she laughed

Abuela crossed the room and picked up her cordless phone. She searched for her glasses and then dialed the number. There was lots of Spanish and I had no idea what she was saying. I dropped both of my hands in my lap and rubbed them together nervously. I watched her as she paced the room and continued speaking. She seemed to be speaking to different people as her tone changed greeting each one. Finally she came towards me and held out the phone. I gulped as I took it in my hand. I put the receiver to my ear and heard nothing.

"Hello?" I finally spoke

"Steph! Babe, it's so good to hear your voice." Carlos purred

"Carlos. I've missed you. I miss you so much." I told him.

"I miss you too. I wish I could have come last summer. My dad had back surgery and I had to work the front counter and everything." he explained

"It's a cafe?" I asked

"And a bakery. Morning is the worst. Especially on the weekends. We get so busy." he sighed

"Are you okay? Besides work I mean." I was nervous

"Yes. I usually go to bed as soon as I get home. I have to be in at five every morning to start making the bread." he explained

"You get no time for friends?" I asked

"Steph?" he knew I was trying to get somewhere.

"No time for uhm...well girls who are friends." I held my breath.

"I have one." he answered

"Oh. Well, then uhm that's nice." I gulped

"Yeah. I am going to see her next week." he explained

"Well, that's...good. I am...I am glad you can make the time for someone special." I felt the tears well up in my eyes.

"I'm sorry I have to go. It's closing time soon and I have to clean and set stuff up for the morning. Then go clean the other Cafe." he told me

"Okay. Well, it was nice talking to you." I sighed

"I'll see you next week." he told me

My mouth dropped open. "What?"

"My brother is going to cover for me so I can see Abuela." he explained

"Oh. So you're coming to visit your grandma?" sadness came over me. "That's nice."

"And see that girl I was telling you about." there was a smile in his voice.

"In Trenton?" I asked

"Unless you moved." he chuckled

"Me? I'm the girl?" I was getting excited.

"The most beautiful girl in New Jersey." he told me

I sighed with contentment. "And you are the most handsome boy."

"I really gotta go. I'll see you soon." he told me and then he disconnected

I looked at the phone and then up at Abuela. "I didn't even get to say goodbye." I told her.

"Yes. No phone manners. I love him to death but no phone manners at all." she laughed as I handed her back the phone.

"He said he's coming." I told her.

"Of course he is. He would visit you every day if he could. You are special to him." she reminded me

"Thank you. I needed to hear that." I jumped to my feet as I glanced at the clock above the sink.

"You have to go?" she asked

"Yes. It's 5:30 and my mother will kill me if I'm late for dinner." I sighed

"Are things any better at home?" she asked

"Better because she just ignores me." I shrugged

"She's the one who is missing out." Abuela pulled me into a hug.

I walked home and my mother was waiting for me at the door. She rolled her eyes and just headed in as I reached it. I sighed and went in to wash my hands. I set the table and mom and Valerie came out with dinner. Saint Valerie the perfect one. What's wrong with me? Why doesn't my own family like me? I seem to only disappoint them. My sister is embarrassed of me and won't even acknowledge my existence at school. My dad doesn't talk to me at all. My grandparents are taking more and more road trips so I feel like I never really see them at all.

"Carl's birthday party is this weekend." I told my mother.

"I think you may have to skip this one." she told me

"What?" I was surprised "I always go."

"I can't drive you this year. I need to take Valerie to her piano lesson. Your father has to work late." she explained.

"What if I can get my own ride?" I asked her

"You think you can find someone who won't mind taking you?" My mother half laughed

"I think maybe someone." I shrugged

"Okay, you can at least try. Don't be pushy or imposing on people." she warned

"I won't" I promised

I woke up the next morning excited about Carl's party. We were going to a place called Main Event. They had bowling, video games and a rock climbing wall. I closed my eyes and prayed there would be no Morelli boys there. I threw on a pair of leggings and my Wonderwoman shirt Abuela had given me for my birthday last year. I walked the couple of blocks to Carl's house and knocked on the door.

"Hi Stephanie." Mrs. Costanza smiled as she opened the door.

"Would you please let me ride with you to the party?" I asked her

"Of course." she answered quickly.

"Thank you." I told her as she moved to the side to allow me to step inside the house.

"Is there something wrong? Did your mom have an emergency?" she asked me

I shrugged "She had to take Valerie to her piano lesson."

Carl's mom shook her head and then called out for Carl and her husband. We all jumped into their minivan and headed to Main Event. We waited in the party room for everyone to arrive. I helped set out the decorations. Carl's party was Superman themed. The kids quickly started entering the room and setting their presents and cards on one table.

I rolled my eyes as I watched Joyce and Madison come in together. They had become best friends and rarely did anything without the other. They had both made the cheerleading squad this year. I sat down at a table and continued to wait for everyone. Eddie and Mary Lou showed up next. Mary Lou slid in next to me.

"I can't stand them. They think they own the squad." she rolled her eyes watching Madison and Joyce.

"Do you like being a cheerleader?" I asked her

She shrugged. "It's fun. At least I enjoy it when they are not bossing me around."

Mary Lou still played with Barbies. She finally accepted I wasn't a Barbie kind of girl. We had formed a new friendship. I respected that she did Cheerleading and she respected that I thought I was Wonderwoman.

"Oh man." she whined

I looked up to see Anthony and Joe Morelli strut into the room. Joe fixed his eyes on me and wiggled his eyebrows.

"We're going to see him every day in school now." she told me

"I hate moving schools." I whined.

We would be staring fifth grade and moving out of our elementary school. The intermediate school held fifth through eighth graders. Joe Morelli was two years older than us and would be starting seventh grade this year. We would likely run into him in the hallways and at school dances. I sighed to myself as more kids came in. No Carlos.

Carl's mom gave us cards that held credits for the different games. We had two hours and then we needed to report for bowling. Our final event would be rock climbing. After that would be hot dogs, cake and ice cream. Carl, Eddie, Mary Lou and I headed to the arcade first. Eddie and Carl were playing a shooting game and Mary Lou challenged me to a dancing game. We were having so much fun together we played it twice. Mary Lou went to play a game on her own and I moved over to sit down in a driving game. As the game waited for a challenger Joe Morelli slid into the seat next to me.

"Hello Cupcake." he smiled as he swiped his card.

I rolled my eyes. "It's Stephanie."

He made comments the whole game. Comments about me driving like a girl. He kept crashing into me. I rolled my eyes so much I thought they might get stuck. Finally I just gave up and got up and left my seat before the game was over. He jumped out of his seat and met me behind the game.

"I'm sorry." he told me

"Okay" I nodded

"Why won't you even talk to me?" he asked

"The way you have treated me ever since I met you." I put my hand on my hip.

"I told you before I like you. I'm really sorry. I know I showed it in the wrong ways." he buried his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground.

"It's okay." I felt bad for the sad look in his eyes.

He looked up and smiled at me. "Thanks."

"Want to play guitar hero with me Joe?" Madison asked as she came up behind him.

"No." he answered her

"Do you want to play something else together?" she slid next to him and grabbed his hand.

"No." his eyes were on me and he pulled his hand away from her.

"You're going to hang out with this freak?" she asked him as she gestured to me.

"Yes." he answered her still never taking his eyes off of me.

"Come on." Carl interrupted the scene.

We all followed him to the laser tag arena. The host equipped us and then split us into teams. Joe and I were on the same team with Carl, Mary Lou and Madison. Eddie was on the same team with Joyce, Anthony and Big Dog. The host sent in the other team first after explaining the rules. We would have thirty minutes to play. Three shots and you were 'dead'. The team with the most players left when time was up would win.

We were sent in and Joe immediate took over. He guided us to hiding spots. I was on the upper level with him. Once we were all settled we heard the siren to begin our game. We were laying on our stomachs watching for members of the other team below us. I felt something at my side and looked to see Madison sliding in between us.

"I told you to stay down there and hide behind that wall." he pointed to a small wall below us.

"I got nervous. I need someone to protect me. Someone with big strong arms." she told him

"Fine." he relented "Just don't get in our way."

She sighed as she squeezed in between us. I moved over to make room for her. We watched Eddie wind around a wall. We couldn't hit him from here. We got to our feet and headed for the fireman's pole that would bring us to the first floor. Joe motioned for Madison to go first. He went second and then when I came down he wrapped his arm around my waist to slow the fall. I was trying to accept his apology and accept his friendship but I certainly didn't like him touching me.

We jumped in between walls and I got a shot off on Anthony while Joe hit Eddie.

"Don't shoot. We have an extra player." Joyce announced

She stepped out from behind a wall. Her arm was linked around Carlos' arm. I wanted to run up and hug him but my eyes were focused on his arm. Why wasn't he moving it? Did he actually like Joyce holding on to his arm? That feeling of jealousy came over me and I narrowed my eyes at him. She tightened her grip and pulled him closer to her.

"Game on." I announced before I shot him.

The center of his chest lit up and gave out a beep to mark where he was hit. He smirked at me and moved forward. I turned and ran away. I felt the tingle on my neck and knew he was close. I moved around a wall and bumped right into his chest. He smiled and looked down into my eyes. He had gotten taller since the last time I saw him. I think he got more handsome as well. He took a step closer and I instinctively took a step back.

"Babe" he smiled and gave me a hug

"Carlos." I closed my eyes and rested my head against his chest.

"You shot me." he smiled when he pulled away from the hug

"You're on Joyce's team. You were with her." I raised both of my eyebrows.

"I'm not with her." he told me

"You didn't seem to mind her arm linked in yours." I knew I sounded crazy but I couldn't help myself.

He just looked at me and said nothing.

"I'm sorry. It's just I haven't seen you in so long." I tried to explain.

He pulled me into a hug again. "I like you jealous."

Just then he released me and swung around quickly. He fired and the beep and light came from Joe's vest. Morelli looked down at the light and rolled his eyes.

"She's on my team." he told Ranger

"Oh is she?" he asked Joe

"Yes she is." he had that look of victory on his face and held out his hand. "Come on Cupcake let's go get Joyce and knock her out of the game."

I looked at Carlos and then back at Joe before my eyes settled back on Carlos. "I gotta go."

"Go get 'em Tiger." Carlos joked and we both laughed before I walked away.

Joe and I worked side by side. We took out Big Dog and soon Madison and Carl joined us. We crawled around on our stomachs to take out Eddie. They had already taken out Mary Lou. Madison was sticking to Joe like glue and I was wrenched in between Joe and Carl. We moved again to go to the second level when Madison was hit by Anthony.

"Help me." she called out to Joe just as I took my first hit from Joyce.

Madison and I were crouched down low on the steps. Carl and Joe were already at the top. The boys came down to cover us so we could move up the stairs. Joe fired at Anthony and it showed number two. One more shot to get him out. Carlos and Joyce came up behind Anthony. Carlos aimed at me and then quickly moved his gun and shot Joe.

The four of us made it up the stairs and hid behind a wall.

"Okay, one more hit on Anthony. Two on Carlos and two on Joyce to win. We can do this." Carl told our group.

"I already have two hits. One more and I am out." Madison pouted as she turned to Joe.

"The rest of us only have one, so we are in good shape." Joe told Carl

"We need to split up. You two girls go after Joyce. She will be close to Carlos so Joe will sneak around behind you two so he can take Carlos out. I will go after Anthony one on one." Carl told us his plan.

"I don't want to be with the freak." Madison rolled her eyes before glaring at me.

"We're a team." Carl told her

"Fine." she made a frustrated sound "I'm going with Joe to get Carlos and she can go after Joyce alone."

"That's fine." I agreed just to get her to shut up.

"Let's go." Joe waved us with him and Carl went the other way.

As we crept down the stairs I saw Carlos behind a wall. I didn't say anything. He wasn't my target. Joe and Madison would just have to spot him on their own. His eyes met mine and he winked at me and I smiled. I saw Joyce right behind him and I nodded my head to her. She nodded back at me and I reached the bottom level. I moved in and out of the walls and boxes set up to hide behind. I jumped out in front of the wall and Carlos jumped away. I fired at Joyce and she yelled out.

"I hate you Plum." she sneered

As she stood there seething and looking around for Carlos I shot her again.

I smiled and happily told her. "Game over."

Anthony jumped out and shot me. My chest flashed one and I jumped to the side behind a box. I heard more laser sounds and then I heard Anthony.

"Crap!" he exclaimed as Carl laughed.

Now it was four of us against Carlos. He rolled out from behind a wall and took aim. Carlos was aiming at Madison and scored a direct hit and her vest made a noise telling her that her game was over.

"Joe!" she whined.

"Don't worry we'll win." he told her as she stomped off.

Carl led us behind a wall and we came up with a plan. Carl would lure him out. Joe would come up behind him, and I would attack from the side. We nodded and moved our hands all in together. We all moved away and into our spots. Carlos was not in the same spot anymore so we would have to search him down while trying to keep each other in our sites.

I moved for cover behind a wall and felt someone at my back. I spun around and I was face to face with Carlos. He put a finger to his lips so I would be quiet. He smiled at me and we both leaned against the wall. He held up his hand and I placed mine in his. He linked our fingers together and I smiled. I had missed him so much.

"You've become more beautiful." he whispered

"You're taller." I told him

We heard a noise nearby and Carlos gave my hand a squeeze before he disappeared. Ugh! I should have shot him. I would have won the game. I heard Joe and Carl calling out to each other and then I heard the laser noises.

"Oh man!' Carl called out.

I guess that means it's just me and Joe left against Carlos. I felt someone behind me again and turned to find Joe.

"Carl's out?" I asked

"Yes and I got hit again before I hit him. You are the only one left with two chances." he explained

"Okay. We can do this." I nodded "I want to win."

We moved together with Joe leading the way. I saw a glimpse of Carlos as he ducked behind a wall. I tapped Joe's shoulder and nodded towards the wall. Carlos quickly jumped out while Joe and I were in the open. He fired and Joe moved in front of me. Joe took the shot and when he moved I took a shot on Carlos. They were both out.

"Holy crap!" I smiled.

"Great job Cupcake." Joe beamed

"I had a little help from you." I smiled

Carlos glanced back and forth between Joe and I but didn't say anything. We all made it towards the exit and my team celebrated when we told them how we won. Joe told everyone about how he had covered me and took one for the team so I could get the final shot. We all exchanged high fives except for Madison and Joyce who gave me the look of death. Next we played bowling and I totally sucked. I had more gutter balls than strikes. We all spent more time laughing and joking rather than playing the game. I had to bite my tongue when Joyce asked Carlos to stand behind her and show her how to aim the ball. When he returned to his seat beside me and saw the look on my face he chuckled.

Our last event was rock climbing. We were each assigned a partner and I gave Carlos a longing look when he was paired up with Joyce by the instructor. He didn't look too happy when the instructor announced Joe as my partner. I got clipped into the rope and Joyce did the same beside me. Our partner would need to hold our rope to give us tension to climb. I knew Carlos was stronger than Joe and I wished he was holding my rope so I wouldn't be so nervous. We followed the directions and started climbing. I soon found out I like the climb. I liked being in the air above the ground. I was tempted to jump away from the rock and fly, but I was too afraid.

I was getting closer to the top and Carlos yelled out to me. "You got this Babe."

I glanced down and smiled at him. Joe was glaring at him. When I looked next to me Joyce was glaring at me. I noticed her moving closer to me as we went higher. We grabbed for the same foothold and she bumped her shoulder into mine. I fell away from the wall and hung out by the rope. I felt the rope give a jerk and I fell quickly towards the ground. The rope pulled taught and my body jerked as I hung a couple of foot from the ground. I glanced down and saw Carlos holding the rope with Joe. Joyce was pulled to the side when Carlos moved to help me.

"Hey Carlos!" she hollered down.

"I got ya." he assured her.

Carlos let go of my rope and Joe slowly lowered me.

"I'm sorry Cupcake." he looked down at his feet.

"It's okay." I forced a smile.

After hot dogs we had my favorite thing cake and ice cream. Mrs. Costanza needed room in her minivan for presents so Abuela offered to give me a ride home. I jumped at the opportunity. Carlos and I slid into the back seat and he quickly pulled my hand into his. We held hands the whole ride home. When we got to the house it was just starting to get dark. Carlos led me to the glider in the back yard and we sat down together, we were still holding hands.

"How have you been?" he asked me

"I've been good. I spend a lot of time here." I answered him.

"It makes me so happy to know you give my Abuela good company and helpful hands." he gave me that dazzling smile.

"She helps me too. She understands me." I looked away and spoke softer. "I wish she was my Abuela."

He reached out and placed two fingers under my chin. He turned my face until I met his eyes.

"She is your Abuela. She loves you." he told me

"I would be so lost and lonely without her." I admitted

"What's going on with your mother? Are you getting along better?" he asked

"No. It's worse. She hates everything I do. I'm not like her or Valerie. I'm a freak. I'm weird. I'm different. I'm a disappointment." I shrugged

"You are unique. You are special. You are a surprise." he corrected me.

"And your life? How are you?" I asked

He sighed "I work all the time. I never get a break. It's hard times and my family can't afford to hire someone. My parent spend every extra penny on my sisters' college education. After work I come home and my mother needs help around the house. My brother is so lazy."

"I'm sorry." I said as I squeezed his hand.

"It's not your fault. Just sometimes I want to be free. I wish I could get them money so they wouldn't have to worry. I wish I could come here for the whole summer again." he confessed

"Me too." I told him as I leaned into him.

"You and Morelli made up?" he asked me

"He apologized and seemed to mean it." I shrugged.

"I'm sure he did." Carlos said with a funny tone in his voice.

We sat there quietly for quite a while until a lightening bug landed on my arm. He reached over and caught it in his hand. The next thing I knew we were both running around the yard chasing lightening bugs. It was getting late so Carlos decided to walk me home. He left me near the bushes with a kiss on my cheek and a smile on my face. We made plans to meet up and go to the park tomorrow.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum." My mother bellowed as was just starting to wake up.

The sun was shining through my window. I glanced at the clock and it read eight o'clock. I had forty minutes to get ready for church.

"I'm up." I shouted

We attended nine o'clock mass as a family. Mrs. Morelli approached my mother about setting up a play date with me and Joe. My dad declined saying we were too busy. I know how my family felt about the Morelli boys and I wasn't surprised. Joe was different towards me now., He smiled when he saw me this morning and told me I looked pretty in my dress. I definitely enjoyed being around this Joe rather than the one I had known up until recently.

We stopped on the way home to get donuts and I helped myself to a Boston Creme by sneaking it from the box as they sat next to me in the backseat.

"Stephanie is eating a donut." Valerie announced.

My mother turned to glare at me. "Can't you wait until we get home? Do you want to get fat?"

"I'm sorry." I slumped my shoulders.

My mother ignored me the rest of the way home. I glared at Valerie and she stuck her tongue out. When we got in the house my mother called me into the dining room.

"Your father and I need to talk to you." My mother motioned for me to sit in the chair I was standing next to.

"I don't understand." I was confused.

"We want you to stop living in this fantasy world. There are no such things as Superheros. No wizards or witches. The closest thing you have to a hero are our men serving the military and a proper Burg wife."

"Women serve in the military too now." I corrected

"Yes, but they are not happy because it's not where they belong." my mother announced.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" I asked her

"We need you to focus. You are entering middle school. Starting the fifth grade." she reminded me

"You need to grow up." my father added

"You need to make new friends." my mother nodded

"Get involved in activities." my father added

"No more superhero fantasies. No more reading all the time. You need to try out for cheerleading and baton twirling, You need to broaden your horizons." she explained.

"And quit hanging out with just boys." my father grumbled "Especially those Morelli boys."

"And Carl and Eddie. You spend all of your time with them." my mother shook her head.

"I don't. I help Carlos' Abuela. I help her with her garden and baking." I choked back tears.

"You can't bake." my mother laughed

"Let Carlos help his own Grandmother." my father shook his head

"How about a book club?" I offered

"No. You need a real activity." my father rolled his eyes

"You don't need to be smart to win a husband." my mother informed e.

I bit down on my lip and decided not to speak.

"People are staring to talk..." my mother began. "With all of this reading... it seems that you fee like you are too good for other kids. Like you are too smart."

"You're not that smart." my father grumbled.

"A man doesn't marry a woman for her brain." My mother explained.

"That's the truth." my father laughed and my mother glared at him.

"Not just the brain You can be smart of you want to but you have to have other talents and you need to wear dresses and skirts like a girl should wear." my mother elaborated.

"Those leg tights you wear make you look half naked." My father shook his head.

"We better see a lot of changes this year. If you don't start getting into more activities on your own I will pick them for you." she sighed "I am trying to give you a chance and frankly I don't want to spend the time and energy trying to fix you myself."

I'm not broken. I thought to myself. I don't need to be fixed.

"School starts on September 6. You have until September 30 to get yourself involved with school activities." my mother warned

"And it better not cost a lot." my father cautioned.

"And if I don't find an activity you approve of by the thirtieth?" I asked

"We will remove all books. You will not be allowed to visit friends. You will not be allowed to help Carlos' grandmother." when she spoke Carlos' name it was with a tone of disgust.

I had no choice. I couldn't imagine life with no books. That would be bad enough, but losing time with Abuela? That would be the worst.

"I'll do it." I promised

"Good." my father nodded

"Now that's done. Go out and play. Be home for dinner." my mother ordered.

I was still wearing my dress from church and made my way to the stairs before my mother stopped me.

"Do not put on any pants. Change into another dress." she ordered

"Okay" I whispered as I moved up the stairs.

I changed into a yellow dress with butterflies on it. I went out the front door and stopped once I stepped off the porch. I wasn't ready to go see Carlos yet. I didn't know where to go. I looked around and got an idea. I walked through our yard to the back of the garage and climbed the ladder my father left propped up against the wall. I sat on the roof and pulled my knees up to my chest. I wrapped my arms around myself and I cried. Maybe I was broken.

Last year I had talked my mom into getting me a parakeet. On the way home the door of the cage came open and the bird flew away when we pulled up to a red light. I wasn't mad or upset. I understood the urge to fly. I understood the urge to escape a cage. The desire to be more than just a freak in a cage for people to try to train. My mother of course had yelled and complained. She said we should have had a better lock on the door. I wanted to fly like that bird. I wanted to bust out of my cage. I got to my feet and walked towards the edge of the garage roof. I looked up into the blue sky and let the wind blow into my face. I raised my hands and felt the freedom in my body. I felt like I could fly so I jumped.

"Oomph." I heard as I crashed to the ground.

I looked down and Carlos was underneath me. He pulled himself into a sitting position and I ended up sitting in his lap.

"Babe" he breathed out

"I'm sorry." I told him as I looked down at the ground.

"You scared me when I saw you on the edge and then you just jumped. What were you doing?" he asked me

"I wanted to fly." I told him as we both got to our feet.

"Next time..." he shook his head.

"I'm sorry I landed on you. I know it was stupid." I sighed

"Not stupid. I am glad I was here. You could have broken something." he reached out and tipped my chin up. "You will fly someday Babe."

"Really?" I asked

"Really." he smiled and then leaned in to plant a kiss on my cheek.

He grabbed my hand and walked me to the park. We played on the jungle gym. I watched him go across the monkey bars. I clapped and cheered the whole way as he swiftly swung from bar to bar. His muscles had grown since the last time I had seen him. He was older and working harder so it made sense. I was still amazed by his strength. Next I jumped onto the swing and he moved behind so he could push me. He pushed me high and just when I reached the very top of the swing set he called out to me.

"Open your eyes and look out in front of you Babe. You're flying."

I opened my eyes wide and peered across the playground. The wind blew through my hair. The sun shined on my face. I was happy. I was with Carlos. I was flying.

*****************************THANK YOU***************************

Thank you to everyone leaving reviews. I have been thinking of this story for a long time. I don't have anything written ahead of time. I write as I go and let the story and the reviews dictate the story.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- Twelve years old

I hadn't gotten to fly in quite a while. I followed my parent's rules and joined in with more activities in school. I actually tried gymnastics thinking some of those tricks would have me flying in the air. When I was accepted onto the team I ran home with my papers flapping in the wind. I was so excited to show my parents. My dad took one look at the paper and said 'too expensive' and that was that. I made it on to the baton twirling team and hating every moment of it. Baton twirling was absolutely awful. I hit myself in the head once every couple of weeks. I found out later they accepted everyone who tried out for the team because they had very little interest. I dropped the baton at least once every single Football game. This took away from my time with Abuela but I still saw her at least two times a week. Carlos had not been able to come at all last summer. His father had to have another back surgery to make some revisions. We spoke on the phone a few times when I was at Abuela's house and she encouraged me not to give up on him.

I went back to the ballroom dance lessons I had tried before. A week into my dance classes Morelli joined the class. Do to my height all of the other boys were much shorter than me. The teacher naturally paired us together. Some days were fun and some days it tried my patience to keep Morelli's hands off of me. He was beginning to earn quite a rep as a ladies man, but he was still mostly being nice to me.

I tried being more active in school. I went to one of the school dances. It was a nightmare. Joyce and Madison have added a new friend to their group. JoAnn moved top the Burg at the beginning of the year. She was from Ohio. They took her in on the first day and had her hating me by the second. When I went to the dance they locked me in the bathroom. I ended up climbing through the window. I went straight to Abuela's house and as always she let me cry on her shoulder. She is my light in the dark world I am stuck living in.

It was my last birthday when I found out the truth. My parents made me choose between a party and a Halloween costume. They told me we didn't have money for both. I sat on the floor in the dining room and leaned against the wall. I was trying to make a decision. I wanted a party but Halloween was my favorite holiday. Then I heard them talking.

"What are we going to do about her?" my father asked

"She will be gone in a few years. As soon as she turns eighteen we will kick her out." my mother answered

"It still makes me sick to look at her. Every day having your affair shoved in my face" my father sounded disgusted.

My jaw dropped. Affair?

"It was a mistake." my mother told him.

"Yeah a mistake you have forced me to deal with for the last twelve years. You should have gotten it taken care of." he make a noise of disgust.

"I tried. I found out too late. I went to three different clinics to try to get rid of that mistake." my mother sounded teary.

"I should have just left you. Let him raise his own God damn kid. I'm so sick of paying for her. If Valerie was the only child we could do so much more for her. I hate spending one penny on that useless waste of space." my father spat.

Tears silently slid down my face. My dad wasn't my father. My mother had an affair and I was a constant reminder. They didn't want me. Then who was my real father? Did he want me? Did he know about me? I gathered my knees up to my chest and hugged tightly. I would get out of here sooner than eighteen. I would get out of here as soon as possible.

"I should have just thrown my self down the stairs." my mother heaved out a sigh.

"Maybe you should tell him. Maybe he would take her off our hands." my father suggested.

My mother laughed. "Then everyone would know. It would ruin my reputation. It would hurt Valerie. Ruin our family name."

"It just pisses me off to watch Juniak get promoted from officer to detective. They say he wants to be Chief of Police some day. It works out easy for him because he has no little mistakes holding him back." my father snarled "How could you sleep with my best friend?"

"I was lonely. You were still in the Army." she sniffled

"I only had three more months in. Three months! You couldn't control yourself." he sounded disgusted

Juniak? Joe Juniak? He is my father? I had met him a few times at church. I knew he was my Godfather but he never came over to visit. My tears didn't stop.

"He's her Godfather. We could ask him to take her. Tell him she has become a burden and as her Godfather he has promised to take care of her. Maybe give her away to that damn old lady she spends so much time with." My father suggested.

"Then everyone would talk. Everyone would wonder why we can't raise our own child." my mother reminded him

"She's not my child. Damn! That wild hair? She's not even pretty. She has his eyes. All of us have brown eyes and she has his freaking eyes. She can't even act like a normal little girl." he made another sound of disgust.

My jaw dropped again. Even he thought I was weird. He didn't think I was pretty? Carlos thought I was beautiful. Maybe Carlos just didn't know better. Maybe because he worked so much he didn't meet any other girls. Maybe he only told me I was beautiful because I helped his Abuela. He didn't have to come visit or worry about her anymore. Maybe it wasn't work that kept him away. Maybe he just wanted to be away from me because I was a freak. Why was I so different? Why couldn't I be like everyone else? Be like Valerie or Mary Lou. Dream of marriage and babies. But I didn't want marriage and babies. I wanted to fly. I wanted to be someone special all on my own.

"Don't you think I know that? Don't you think she is a constant embarrassment for me? She doesn't play house. She doesn't fit in at all." my mother heaved out a deep breath.

"I should have left you when you told me. I should have told everyone my wife can't keep her damn legs closed. You're lucky I stayed." he told her

"I am lucky. I thank God every day. If you would have left my reputation would be ruined. I would have to leave the Burg." my mother sniffled.

There was silence for a couple of minutes.

"Come on upstairs with me. Show me how sorry you are." he told her

I scrambled to my feet.

"But Stephanie's home. She might hear." My mother objected.

"Who cares?" my father told her.

That was the last thing I heard before I bolted out the door. I ran all they way to Abuela's house. I crashed through her back door without even knocking. She turned to look at me and I threw myself into her arms. I sobbed as she held me. I wouldn't tell her what happened and she didn't push me. She offered to call Carlos but I told her not to. After that I tried to stay away from my parents as much as possible. Every day after school I kept myself busy until dinner time. After dinner I went straight to my room. This seemed to make them both happier.

I started mowing lawns and babysitting so I could make my own money. I spent it at the thrift store buying myself jeans and t-shirts. I would change out of the dresses my mother forced me to wear as soon as I got to school. After their conversation I got a lot of Valerie's hand me downs and was no longer included in the back to school shopping trip. Once they started spending less money and time with me my parents seemed happier.

It was the third day of July and all I could think of was Carl's party next month. I hoped Carlos would show up. I needed my best friend. It had been nine months since I found out the secret and it still hurt like I heard their words yesterday. Tomorrow was the fourth of July and Abuela and I had plans to go to the park to watch the fireworks. I woke up early and skipped breakfast. I hated to sit at the table and suffer through the dirty looks. I arrived at Abuela's house before nine o'clock. She smiled as she always did when she saw me.

"I'm here." I announced to her as I came through the kitchen door.

"I can see that." she laughed.

"Can I change?" I asked her

"Go right ahead." she turned back to the stove.

I watched her pull out a tray of apple turnovers from the oven. The smell hit my nose and I moaned out in pleasure. She laughed and winked at me when I looked at her. I skipped to the bathroom with my backpack and quickly changed into jeans and a t-shirt. When I came out of the bathroom I crashed right into Carlos' chest.

"Carlos!" I exclaimed.

"Babe." he smiled at me and pulled me into a hug.

My tears fell immediately as he held me in his arms. I started to sob and he squeezed me tighter against him. After a few minutes I got control of myself and pulled away from the hug. He looked into my eyes. His face was filled with worry and confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked

"Nothing." I sniffled as I wiped at my face.

"Talk to me Steph. Abuela is worried about you." he reached a hand up and cupped my cheek.

I leaned into his hand and closed my eyes. Then it hit me. He was here because she called him.

"Oh no." I pulled away.

"What?" he asked

"She called you. Abuela called you. Your family needs you and you came here to find out why I'd become such a burden to her." I pulled completely away from him.

"A burden? No! She loves you. Yes, she called me. She yelled a my brother and told him I needed a break. He's working for me. I will be here until August." he flashed me his two hundred watt smile.

He slung an arm around me and steered me to the kitchen. We both sat down at the table and Abuela joined us. She had laid out the apple turn overs and glasses of milk for each of us. After I finished breakfast I lost it. The tears came and I told them everything in between sobs. When I finished my story Abuela pulled me to my feet and wrapped her arms around me. She pulled me into a tight hug.

"I love you Estefania. You are smart and beautiful. Every day I thank God for you. You keep me company and help me whenever I need it. You bring me such a happiness and joy. I wish you were my own." she told me as she held me tight.

"But..." I stammered

"You are my family Estefania. You will always be my family. I love you just the way you are. I will always be here for you. You have been such a blessing for me." her words washed over me.

When she pulled away she gave me a bright smile. I couldn't help but return her smile. Even through my tears she gave me joy and comfort. As soon as she stepped back I noticed Carlos was on his feet. He grabbed me by the arms and gathered me to him. He pulled me tight against his chest and more tears fell. He stroked the back of my hair.

"Shh querida. It's going to be okay. Shh Eres tan hermosa" (dear, you are so beautiful)

He held me tight and I turned my head to rest it against his chest. He rested his chin on the top of my head and released a big sigh.

"They are blind to not see how special you are." he whispered "You are so amazing. You are always in my thoughts. I would spend every day with you if I could I always want to be around you. You are my light. My sunshine on a rainy day."

I didn't say anything I just let him hold me. Abuela and Carlos wanted me around. They didn't see me as a burden. I finally had a place where I felt like I belonged. I wish I could live with Abuela. I wish I never had to go back home. When my sobbing stopped and I blew my nose for the third time Carlos suddenly smiled big.

"Hey! Let's go into the backyard. I want to show you something." he said excitedly as he grabbed my hand.

I let him tug me into the back yard where he quickly pulled off his shirt. Wow! His muscles had gotten bigger and he had muscles in his stomach now. His abs. I never saw someone with such muscles outside of the wrestlers on TV. He did some punches in the air. He did some kicks. He jumped and kicked. He spun around in the air and kicked. I was amazed. He looked so strong and yet graceful.

"Wow!" I told him when he stopped.

"My dad has been teaching me martial arts. Want me to teach you?" he asked

"YES!" I nearly screamed.

"You will love it. I will teach you every day and then you can defend yourself against all of the boys." he smiled.

"All of the boys?" I asked

"Yes, all who chase your beauty. When I'm not around I want you to have the skills to fight them off." he chuckled and I laughed.

He showed me some moves for hours until Abuela told us it was time for the fireworks. We headed to the park together and laid out a blanket to sit on. Abuela had packed us a picnic and we enjoyed our dinner together at the park. We left Abuela with her crocheting and went to the playground as we waited for the sunset. I was watching Carlos on the monkey bars. He could now go back and forth twice without taking a break. When he finished we sat side by side on the swings.

"Carlos!" Joyce exclaimed as she came running towards us.

Madison and JoAnn were on her heels of course. She stopped right in front of him and gave him a big smile. She gave me a sideways glare before focusing back on him. She stood up tall and pushed out her chest. She already had boobs. I barely had enough to wear a training bra and she already had big boobs.

"Do you want to watch the fireworks with me?" she asked

"I'm watching with Steph and my Abuela." he told her.

"Oh. I'm sorry your grandma stuck you with Stephanie. She must feel sorry for her. Your grandmother probably pities her because she had no friends." Joyce told him.

"She has friends." Joe interrupted her.

"Joe!" Madison exclaimed when she saw him walking towards us.

"Being dance partners doesn't count." Joyce rolled her eyes at him.

"She has friends." Joe repeated

"Whatever." Joyce glared at him before she returned her eyes to Carlos.

Carlos got to his feet and I noticed this look on his face I had never seen. It was tense and emotionless. He looked angry yet calm and controlled at the same time. If his look was directed at me I might just pee my pants. Joyce stepped back and her body gave out a visible shutter. She looked somewhere between petrified and in love.

"You got taller and your muscles..." she stammered

Joe made a disgusted sound and focused his eyes on me. He moved towards me and grabbed my hand as he pulled me to my feet.

"Are you okay Cupcake?" he asked me and I nodded. I let go of his hand and gripped my own hands together.

"The guys only like you because they feel sorry for your pathetic ass." Madison snarled.

JoAnn laughed "Poor Carl. His mother forces him to pretend to be friends with her."

JoAnn seemed to have developed a crush on Carl since moving here. She saw me as in the way because he used me to hide behind whenever she was around. Before they had locked me in the bathroom when I attended the dance I had danced with him so he could avoid her. I glared at her but her words hit me. I was trying not to get upset. I wasn't going to let them see me cry.

"You should show the guys your baton twirling skills." Madison laughed

"Is there anything you're good at?" JoAnn asked

"She's a good dancer." Joe told them

Madison rolled her eyes. "All she has to do is follow you. You are so strong and talented you could lead a dog around and make them look good."

"He already does." Joyce said as all three girls busted out laughing.

"Come on guys. Leave the little freak here to play on the baby slide while we go watch the fireworks together." Madison suggested to Joe and Carlos when she stopped laughing.

"Come on Carlos. Let me help you escape from the piece of trash. You don't have to hang out with her just because you feel sorry for her." Joyce held out her hand to him.

"Shut up Joyce." Joe told her.

"That's not why I choose to be around her." Carlos spoke calmly with his deep voice.

"I can't help it if the truth hurts." she shrugged as she kept her hand stretched out for Carlos.

Carlos grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I looked up and saw him smiling at me. He pulled me to his side.

"Come on Babe. I'm tired of listening to these jealous little girls." he told me. "I want to watch the fireworks with the most beautiful girl in the Burg."

Joyce snorted. "Carlos, don't be blind."

"It's okay Joyce, you know why he wants to hang out with her." JoAnn told her friend.

"Yep, we all know." Madison nodded.

"Everyone knows she's not a virgin. She's probably slept with both Morelli brothers." Joyce old him.

"I didn't...I don't." I was speechless.

"Oh please Stephanie. There's a reason why you only talk to boys at school. Everyone knows." Madison rolled her eyes.

"That's not true." Joe corrected her. "She doesn't even have a boyfriend."

"Really?" Carlos asked him

Joe was speechless as he looked back and forth between me and Carlos.

"Jealousy isn't attractive." Carlos told Joyce.

"I'm not..." Joyce began

Carlos pulled me with him and we walked away from the group. Joyce and her friends were still talking as we walked away ignoring them. After we reached the building that held the bathrooms I let go of his hand and dashed inside. I did my business and then tried washing off my face as the tears flowed. I came out and Carlos pulled me to the side of the building. He moved in front of me and my back was against the bricks.

He cupped my face with both hands. He stood there staring into my eyes and I let mine close as I relaxed into his touch.

"Open your eyes." he commanded

I opened my eyes and he smiled.

"Eres tan hermosa." He whispered

"What does that mean?" I asked

"You are so beautiful." he translated.

He leaned in closer and my breath hitched. His lips met mine and he kissed me. He kissed my lips once and pulled back. He looked into my eyes and searched for something. He saw what he wanted to see and leaned in and kissed me again. Three times he kissed me and pulled back before he pressed his lips into mine again. He didn't pull back this time. He turned his head and stroked my cheeks. He opened his mouth slightly and I followed his lead. His lips opened our mouths wider and his tongue pushed into my mouth. Suddenly I knew just what to do. I moved my tongue around his. I kept my eyes closed as we moved our heads back and forth. His hands slid to the back of my head and he kept us pressed together. After what seemed like an hour but was probably only a minute he pulled back. He rested his forehead against mine.

"That was my first kiss." I whispered

"Mine too." he confessed

He pulled away and looked into my eyes. "You have a boyfriend."

"I do?" I asked

"You do." he nodded as he added a smile.

I leaned in and kissed him again. This time my hands went into his hair. It had grown longer and laid below his ears. I tugged it into my hands and our tongues found each other again. My heart was filled with warmth. I felt wanted. I felt beautiful. I felt happiness soar throughout me. He pulled away and chuckled.

"Come on. Abuela will miss us. It's almost time." he grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the wall. I squeezed his hand and we walked back to the blanket hand in hand. When we reached Abuela she looked at our hands and smiled. We sat down on the blanket and Abuela passed me some cookies after she put away her crocheting. When the fireworks began Carlos wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me tight against his side.

The next morning I showed up for my first Martial Arts lesson. After that we spent every day practicing in the backyard. Abuela bought some material and made us a pad to practice with. Instead of crying when I was upset I took it all out on the pad he held for me. He taught me some self-defense techniques and would practice different holds on me. With some more practice I was able to escape. I was getting better and feeling confidence I never knew I had buried deep inside me.

I ate every meal with them. I even went to the grocery store and used my own money to buy Abuela some groceries. She had cried when I brought her the bags. She told me they were happy tears. Carlos and I went to the park from time to time so I could fly. When it rained we watched movies with Abuela. He held my hand whenever we walked somewhere together. I had a boyfriend and it seemed he never got tired of spending time with me. Every day when he walked me home he would pull me to the side of my house and kiss me before I went inside.

Carl's birthday party was set for this weekend and I was both excited and nervous. Excited to go with Carlos. Excited to hang out with Eddie, Carl and Mary Lou. Nervous to see Joyce, Madison and JoAnn. Carlos called them the three stooges. Carl's party this year sounded like it was going to be fun. We would be headed to the Poconos for white water rafting. It was a sleep over where the girls would have one cabin and the guys the other. Again Carl's party would be the one everyone talked about. Invitations to his parties had become like winning the golden ticket to Wonka's factory.

Abuela drove us to the Poconos after lunch on Saturday. The three hour trip passed quickly. I fell asleep and woke up right before we arrived. We hugged her goodbye and she assured us she would be back tomorrow at five o'clock. It turned out we would be staying in the same cabin. It was a huge building. The boys were on one side and the girls on the other with a big common room in between. We boh went in to set down our bags. We were the first ones there. I picked a bed against the wall. I planned on telling Mary Lou which one was mine as soon as she arrived. They were twenty bunk beds total. Carl didn't invite that many girls so no one would have to share one.

Carlos and I met in the common room. There was TV playing a safety video. We sat on a couch and watched together. It told us how to paddle and how to float properly if you fell out.

"Okay, so raise your legs so your feet don't get trapped." I repeated

Carlos chuckled. "You will be fine Babe."

I repeated the phrase from the video that was supposed to remind you how to float if you fell out. "Nose and toes."

"Oh good, you're watching the video. It's on an endless loop. I want to make sure everyone watches even though the guide will just repeat it all tomorrow morning." Carl's mom was smiling at us.

She was running all over making sure everything was in place. She seemed nervous, she always wanted everything to be perfect. She was quietly going over a list in her head.

"Kickball once everyone gets here. Hot dogs and smores by the fire tonight. Seven o'clock wake up. Cereal for breakfast. Rafting pizza and cake. Five o'clock pick-up."

"Can I help with anything?" I asked her

"I have cereal boxes and milk in my trunk. Can you two carry them in and put the in the kitchenette?" she asked

"Sure." I told her as we both jumped to our feet.

When we went to walk past her she grabbed my arm and I looked up at her.

"You two make quite the couple." she smiled at both of us.

"Thank you. I agree." Carlos told her as I remained silent.

He tugged on my hand and we went to unload the trunk. Over the next hour everyone slowly arrived. Mrs. Costanza made sure everyone watched the safety video. She told us to meet at the fire pit at eight o'clock. Carl organized a game of Manhunt. Carl explained the rules. It was basically hide and seek in reverse. Instead of one person looking for everyone, one person would hide and everyone would seek them out. We were to stay on the campgrounds and out of the cabin. When the person who is hiding is found they get to pick the next person to hide. The first person to hide would be Carl.

Carlos and I worked together and it only took us about five minutes to find Carl in a tree. He picked Anthony Morelli next. Joyce and Madison found Anthony and he picked JoAnn to hide. She was the easiest to find. She was right by the fire pit behind a tree. She chose me and the three stooges laughed. I think their idea was to get me out of the way. Carlos squeezed my hand before I ran off. I had five minutes to find a place before everyone would start searching.

I had already figured out the perfect place when we were hunting for the others. I went down by the water and hid myself underneath one of the rafts that laid on the shore. I kept checking my watch and was impressed when I realized I had been hidden for ten minutes. I had heard people walk by a few times but no one checked the raft. I heard Joe's voice and then I heard Madison.

"So that's it?" she asked him

"What did you think would happen?" he asked her

"Well, we slept together." she sniffled

Holy crap! They slept together? Like sex? Oh my God she had only just turned thirteen. Slept together?

"Look, I never said I wanted a girlfriend. We had fun and now it's over. It's that simple." he explained to her.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed. "I knew it and I should have listened. Some of the other girls had warned me. So it's true?"

"What's true?" he asked

"You are on a mission to take the virginity of the most girls you can. I think I heard the bet was fifty girls before you graduate high school." she spat angrily.

Fifty girls? Fifty? What in the heck? I thought he had an on and off thing going with Terry Gilman. Fifty girls?

He laughed. "Hey think of it this way. You were lucky number seven." he told her

"I hate you." she spoke quietly

"You're not the first." he replied.

I heard their foot steps. I wasn't sure if they had walked away together or separately, but they definitely walked away. After a few more minutes I head more voices. It was Joyce and Carlos.

"We've looked everywhere. We should just go and hang out alone for a while." she told him

"You are free to do what you want." he spoke in a monotone voice.

"I don't want to be alone." she whined

"Go find your friends." he suggested

"I'm a virgin." she told him

I waited and there was no response.

"I want you to be my first." she purred

I waited and still no response.

"Did you hear me?" she asked

"I have a girlfriend." he told her

"Stephanie?" she laughed "She's on Morelli's list. She won't last long. When he decides he wants someone he gets them."

"We'll see about that." came Carlos' voice

Morelli's list? I had only just had my first kiss. I wasn't even ready for someone to see me in a bikini. Was this something else wrong with me? Listening to Joyce trying to seduce my boyfriend was both amusing and aggravating at the same time.

"Can you at least hold my hand when we look around. It's dark now and I'm scared." she whined some more.

"No. Go find your friends." he ordered

"I know you're afraid because we are so attracted to each other..." she began. "You probably don't even have to break up with her. She'll figure it out when she sees us holding hands or kissing or..."

"I'm not going to hold your hand. I'm not going to kiss you or anything else. I am not interested. I have a girlfriend." Carlos heaved out a deep breath.

"I get it. You're in a bad mood. Okay, I'll leave you alone now to calm down I'll see you by the fire later." Joyce told him as I listened for her foot steps.

"You can come out now Babe." Carlos called to me.

I came out from under the raft and moved close to him.

"How did you know?" I asked

"I just get this feeling when you're around." he told me as he tugged me into a hug.

"A tingle on the back of your neck?" I asked

He pulled me back and looked down into my face. He nodded to agree with the feeling we both had for each other. He moved his hands to the back of my head and brought me in for a kiss. We both heard voices and foot steps. He glanced at me and I nodded. I was tired of the game and could tell that was what he was asking me. As the voices got closer I realized it was the Morelli brothers.

"I found her" Carlos announced.

Everyone soon gathered around and Carl decided it was time to go to the fire pit. We grilled and ate our hot dogs. Carlos laughed and shook his head at me when I ate my second one. He didn't like sweet desserts. He decided instead to roast marshmallows for me. The night went on without a hitch. Unless you count Morelli sitting next to me with Carlos on my other side. Soon after everyone took off to head to bed. Carlos left me at the door for the girl's side and I slid into the big open room. I quickly took my shower and put on my pajamas. I saw the three stooges talking together. It looked like they were comforting Madison. I ignored them and headed to bed. I said goodnight to Mary Lou who was next to me and quickly fell asleep.

Morning came too soon. We all rushed through our cereal and then headed for the rafts. The guides once again explained the rules and procedures. Carlos checked and rechecked my life vest. We took off down the river and followed the course we were guided through. Carlos and I were sitting side by side and were smiling at each other. It was an exciting rush to bounce up and down through the rapids as the water sprayed in your face. The rowing was hard but rewarding. We started to move into some very wild rapids. Our raft was tossed up and down and we soared high into the air as the water sprayed us.

The next time the raft dipped high I felt my body lift. When the raft came down I came down outside of the raft. I tried not to panic and recited to myself nose and toes. Nose and toes I laid back and pressed my feet together knees slightly bent. I kept looking ahead to find the raft. I kept my arms at my side as the video had instructed. The raft had passed me and the guide was shouting orders to the group. They were pulling over to the shore. It was my job to get myself close enough to grab the rope.

I got closer and used my arms to pull me towards the guide who was holding the rope. I knew from the video he wouldn't go past his knees because it would risk him getting stuck in the current of the water. I quickly realized I wasn't going to get close enough. I kept trying to move my legs and now my arms furiously. I felt an arm wrap around my waist and I was being pulled to shore. When we got closer he pulled me to my feet. I wasn't surprised at all when I looked up to find Carlos.

"Again?" I asked him as we both sat down.

"Again?" he was confused

"You saved me from drowning or smacking into some scary rocks." I told him.

"I'm always going to be here for you." he wrapped his arm around my shoulders,

"You do too much." I told him

Of course I didn't get much of a response.

"Babe"

Then he picked me up and we all climbed back into the raft to finish he ride.

********************THANK YOU**********************************

Thank you all for each and every review. I can't being to tell you how they sprur me on

Marsha- thanks for your review- it was your inspiration that drove me to give a glimpse of why Steph's parents dislike her so much.

ProudofyouBabe- There's your gymnastics LOL

Rangerbabe21- You always give great feedback and great advice. Thank you for sharing your personal stories with me as well.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7- 14 years old

Last summer had been a busy one for both Carlos and I. He began working part time at a convenience store to help bring more money into the house. He still worked at the Cafe and didn't have much time for anything else but sleep. Four times Abuela and I had traveled to Newark to have lunch with him and he came for one weekend to visit Abuela and myself. We did talk on the phone as much as possible. I started babysitting more and was saving my money. My goal was to move out of my family's home ASAP.

Joe Morelli had changed quite a bit during the school year. He had more victims including Mary Lou, Joyce, JoAnn and several others. He and Terry were still on and off, but mostly off for the school year. As far as the three stooges were concerned I would soon be joining that list. I knew that would never happen. Morelli and I had become good friends and his worst crime when hanging out with me was calling me Cupcake. Either I was immune to the Morelli charm that made women immediately drop their pants or he wasn't using it on me because we remained only friends. Carlos was my guy and I had no reason to even think about anyone else.

I considered talking to Joe Juniak and telling him he was my father, but I wasn't ready for that just yet. I didn't need another adult in my life rejecting me. I was at Abuela's house and we were both waiting for Carlos' weekly phone call. Afternoon and evening passed but still no call. Abuela called his home but she was told he wasn't there. This went on through all of July. She talked to her daughter and she was also worried about Carlos. He told her he had a new job and was bringing a lot of money home to his family each week. She was worried he was involved with the wrong people. I was worried I had been replaced.

Let's face it no matter what Carlos thinks I am not the most beautiful girl in the world. I also knew he was pretty darn close to perfection. It was two weeks until Carl's birthday and I hoped Carlos would show up for that. This year Carl's party was set at the indoor skydiving place. I had been marking the days off of my calendar excited for the chance to fly.

"Estafania?" Abuela shook me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry." I blushed when I saw she was holding out the phone.

"Carlos?" I asked when I had it to my ear.

"Hey Babe" he said

"How are you? I miss you." I told him

"Fine" he answered with only one word

"Uhm" I didn't know what to say

"Listen Steph, I'm not going to be able to make it this summer at all." he explained

"Oh." I paused "Well I don't know if you are aware Carl's party is right outside of Newark. It's at the new IFly."

He let out an aggravated sigh "I don't have time for that little kid bullshit."

"uhm" I was confused "Thought we could at least see each other for a couple of hours at the party."

"Listen, I should have called you sooner." he hesitated "I don't really thing this long distance thing is going to work out."

"Thing? Long distance? We are an hour away from each other." I spoke quickly

"You're busy and I'm busy. I don't want you hanging out with Abuela all the time waiting around for me." he went on

"What? Wait! Excuse me?" I was shocked "I work too you know? I don't just sit around here eating bon bons with Abuela waiting for you to call."

"Stephanie, we live in two different worlds." he began

I interrupted him. "That never seemed to bother you before."

"Well, it bothers me now. I don't have time to waste worrying about you." he voice with flat with no emotion.

"Waste your time?" Now I was getting close to rhino mode. "Worrying about me?"

"Yeah. I can't focus on my life here. I can't lay in bed and worry if you are handing your virginity to Morelli." he spat

"WHAT? I can't...how dare you? I can't...Carlos!" I was pissed now

"What Stephanie? What? It seems it's a matter of time. You're there and I'm here. I can't compete with the guys that see you every day." he paused "I'm holding you back. I know for a fact you didn't go to any school dances last year. Yeah, I know you work but instead of friends you spend all of your extra time with Abuela." he sounded exasperated

"So you're saying I'm a loser? I'm the weirdo?" I shook my head as my eyes welled with tears

"No..." he began

I cut him off. "My home life sucks. This is the only place I feel loved. I'm so sorry if it offends you. I will stay away from your family if that's what you want."

Abuela was on her feet. She was watching me intently. When she saw the tears flow she held out her hand for the phone. I shook my head no.

"That would be for the best." he agreed

My jaw dropped to the ground. He just told me he wanted me to stay away from Abuela. My chest hurt. My heart was breaking. I was losing Abuela and Carlos all in the same day. I knew it had been hard recently but I had no problem waiting for him. I never once considered ending things with him. I wanted to beg him not to do this. I wanted to beg him not to take away his heart. I wanted to beg him not to take away my only family. Instead I was angry.

"For the best? For who? For you? You found someone new so you want to kick me out of your life? You want me away from Abuela so you can bring your new girlfriend around? Is that it?" I practically yelled

"There is no other...I could never...I haven't replaced you." I caught him off guard and he stammered.

"Why then? Why are you doing this?" I asked

"It's for the best." he had regained his control.

"You keep saying that? What happened? What's different?" I needed answers

"This is how it has to be." he said flatly.

"This...uhm..." I was at a loss for words.

"Take care of yourself. I hope we can be friends down the road. Put Abuela back on the phone."

I took a deep breath. "Take care of yourself."

I handed Abuela the phone and the tears began to pour from my eyes. She started speaking rapid Spanish to him. I could tell she was angry. I couldn't stand there anymore. I hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

"I love you" I whispered before I bolted out the door.

I ran as fast as I could. I got two blocks away before I had to stop and hold my side. I had no idea where to go. I had no idea what to do. My chest hurt. My heart was broken. I had no Carlos and no Abuela. I had no one and I felt like I had nothing. I stared at the ground and let the tears fall as I continued to walk down the sidewalk. By the time I was all cried out I looked up to see the sun setting. I looked around to see where I was. I was standing in front of Joe Juniak's house.

I stood there staring at the house. It was a typical row house. His side was painted blue and his neighbor Mr. and Mrs. Nasarra's half was yellow. The porch light was on. I didn't really know him that well. I knew he was a widower. I knew he had a son in college. He lost his wife to Cancer two years ago. I see him a few times a year. He sends me Christmas and Birthday present as my Godfather. But I know knew he was my biological father. This seemed like the time to talk to him. I had nothing to lose. I had already faced the worst rejection today. I had no where else to go and I didn't want to go back home. I didn't want to deal with someone telling me how disappointing I was tonight. I slowly moved up the walkway and knocked on the door. I began to fidget and bit down into my bottom lip. Oh no! This was a bad idea. I turned to walk away when the door opened.

"Hey Steph." Juniak greeted me "What's up?"

"Uhm...can I talk to you please?" I asked

"Sure. Come on in." he smiled

He stepped back and motioned with his hand for me to come in. I stepped inside and he closed the door behind me. I followed him to the kitchen and he motioned for me to have a seat at the breakfast bar. He tilted his head and studied me for a second.

"What's wrong? You've been crying." he noticed

"Many things." I sighed

"What can I help you with? I hate to see you upset." he paused "Oh where are my manners? Would you like something to drink?"

"Ice tea? Water?" I asked

"I have Ice tea." he smiled "Monica used to handle all of this stuff. I am a terrible host."

"You're my father." I blurted out while he had his back to me.

He froze with the refrigerator door open. His hand still on the pitcher of ice tea. After a few seconds he pulled out the pitcher. He turned and placed it on the counter. He got out a glass and filled it before he pushed it to me. He let out a deep breath as he plopped down in the stool across from me.

"How do you know? I had always hoped you were. I had done the math and I had asked Helen. She said no. I did tell Monica. I confessed everything. We went to therapy and she forgave me. I told her how I wished you were mine." he clasped his hands together.

"You wished I was yours?" I was confused

"Why wouldn't I? You are smart and beautiful. Let me show you something." he got up

He left the room. I took a drink from my glass and took severaldeep breaths. He came back to the kitchen and handed me a picture. I looked at the woman in the picture. She had curly brown hair and blue eyes. She looked a little like me, but she was beautiful. I glanced up at him as I waited for an explanation.

"That's my mother." he told me

"Your mother?" I was in awe

"Yes. My mother. She lives in Florida. I would love for you to meet her some day." he smiled at me.

"Don't you want to get a DNA test?" I asked him

"We can. I don't need one." he paused "May I ask how you found out?"

I gulped "A few years ago I overheard my mom and dad...Frank talking about it."

"You should have come to me." his eyes looked thoughtful.

I nodded but said nothing

"So, you haven't discussed this with them?" he asked

"No." I spoke quietly.

"What made you decide to come here today?" he asked me

I took a deep breath and then a few more but it was pointless. I completely broke down. My body was racked with sobs and I couldn't catch my breath. He moved like a blur and had me tight in a hug buried into his chest before I could blink. He stroked my back and let me cry.

"Shh. Shh. It's going to be okay. I'm your father. I am going to help you get through anything. I am going to be here for you. I am so happy to find out you're mine. Shh. Shh." he kept repeating himself.

When I finally got some semblance of control he pulled me back and gave me a tight smile. He held onto my shoulders and turned me around,. He ushered me to the living room and aimed me towards a recliner. He sat down on the couch across from me. He leaned his elbows onto his knees and steepled his hands. He pressed his hands into his lips and watched me. He waited a few minutes and then finally spoke.

"Tell me." he instructed

"I don't know where to start." I sniffled

"From the beginning. I've missed so much of your life." he sighed

"My parents hate me. Dad...Frank wished I was aborted. I am a constant reminder of the affair. My mother hates me. She wants me to wear pink and be more of a girl. She expects me to already be focused on marriage and babies. I try to stay away from home as much as possible. They hate me."

The tears were falling down my face and he just stared at me.

"The mean girls at school hate me. Joe Morelli tortured me as a kid but he's been nice to me the last couple of years. Everyone thinks it's because I won't let him in my pants and he is running out of girls on his virgin conquering list. The only place where I was appreciated and loved was ...well I had this guy he was my best friend and then my boyfriend. He used to come every summer to visit his Abuela. She kind of became my Abuela. My only family. The only one who loved me and then well...today. And then..."

My breath caught.

"He well...he broke up with me. He said we lived too far and he was too busy. He doesn't want me to stay attached by hanging out with his Abuela. Now I have nothing. I have no one. I didn't even mean to come here and ruin your life. I was walking and crying and thinking and I looked up and saw your house. I'll leave.. I'm sorry."

"No. Don't go. You're not ruining my life. I told you before I wondered about you. I hoped you were mine, but your mother is not exactly the most approachable person in the world. I made a huge mistake and I am grateful that my wife offered me forgiveness and I like to think I spent the rest of her life making up for my bad choices." he explained

"Did you ever ask her? My mom?" I wondered

"Yes. I asked her as soon as I noticed she was showing and she said no. It wasn't a long term thing. We were only together two times. She refused to discuss it further." he sighed

"But you're my Godfather." I was confused.

"Yes. Your father...Frank and I were best friends. You were baptized before he knew anything. I wasn't sure how he found out about the affair. He came to me and told me he knew and told me to stay away from his family. Perhaps as you got older and he saw the resemblance to my mother and he figured it out. I think your mother always knew." he offered his opinion.

"Oh." It was all I could say.

"Can you explain to me what's so bad about home?" he asked "I want to understand why you think they hate you."

"They just hate me. They love Valerie. She is the perfect child. I always wondered why they didn't like me. When I got grounded I had books taken away. I was told not to read. Reading all of the time made me too weird. They wanted me to join in more activities in school. Activities that were more feminine. They plan to kick me out when I turn eighteen, but I have been saving money to get out of there sooner. He said I was useless, a waste of space, She said she tried three different clinics to get rid of me. Said she should have thrown herself down the stairs." the words echoed in my head.

"What?" he was in shock

"He said I'm not even pretty and she thinks I am already a constant embarrassment. They think I'm not normal." more tears.

Juniak leaned his head down into his hand and heaved out a sigh.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I should have known. At the least I am your Godfather. I should have checked in on you more instead of just sending presents." he rubbed his hand over his face.

"It's not your fault. There was nothing you could do." I assured him

He snapped his head up. "There is something I can do now."

"No. I don't want you to try to talk to them. It will just be worse for me when you leave." I explained

"I'm not leaving. Stephanie? Do you want to live with me? Do you want to meet your brother Sal?" he asked me

"I...I...she won't let me. She won't let me go because she doesn't want to be embarrassed. She doesn't want the Burg to know." I told him.

"It doesn't matter what she wants." he told me

"Well, I don't know where to start." I admitted

"What time do you usually go home?" he asked me

"I have to be home at six o'clock for dinner. If I eat dinner out I have to be home at nine o'clock. There is not food served in my house if you are not at the table at six." I described my mother's rules.

He glanced at the clock. "Okay it's almost eight. Did you eat anything?"

I shook my head. I had lunch with Abuela but that was a long time ago. He got to his feet and walked into the kitchen. He took out a plate and added something from the refrigerator before he set it in the microwave. He called me over and set out some bread as I jumped back onto the bar stool. he pulled a piece of Lasagna from the microwave and passed it to me. Then he handed me a fork and knife. He watched me as I took a bite.

"This is delicious. Thank you." I told him as he nodded

"Stephanie, I would like you to come with me to meet my lawyer. I will call tomorrow to make an appointment. He will want a DNA test done. If you agree we would go to court and fight for custody. I can see if the court would allow you to stay here temporarily during the paperwork stuff." he offered

"She will flip out. She will be so embarrassed. He will hate me more than he already does. It will hurt your reputation." I shook my head.

"I will be fine. I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about you." he told me

"I'm okay. I only have four years left. Less if I save enough money sooner." I assured him

"College?" he asked

I bit my lip and stayed silent. He raised an eyebrow.

"They only have enough for Valerie." I finally spoke

He slammed his hand down on the counter and took a few steps away.

"I'm sorry." I instinctively said

"You? You're sorry? No! I'm sorry. Helen and Frank should be sorry. I wish I knew sooner. I should have pushed harder. You deserve better than this whether it's four years before eighteen or four minutes." he paced as he spoke.

I finished the lasagna and Juniak spent most of that time pacing, thinking and jotting down notes. He walked me to the door when it was time to go but stopped me before he opened it.

"Stop by here tomorrow around ten and I will leave you a note under the mat to tell you when the appointment with the lawyer will be." He told me as I nodded

He started to open the door and then stopped. He pulled me into a tight hug and kissed the top of my head. He pulled back and looked at me as he held my upper arms.

"That boyfriend? He's the one missing out on an amazing girl right now. If it's meant to be then it will be. Even if it's not now." he offered

"Thank you." I spoke softly

The next day I left the house as soon as I could. I went to the park to read. I was sitting at a picnic table in the shade when I heard someone come closer. I looked up to see Joe Morelli. He smiled and slid into the bench across from me.

"What's up Cupcake?" he asked

"Nothing." I tried to sound cool.

He tilted his head and studied my face.

"Are you okay?" he inquired

"Fine." I told him

"You don't look fine." he challenged

"I just have a lot going on right now." I shrugged.

"Anything I can help with?" he asked

"Nope." I told him as I looked back at my book.

"I am your friend. You can come to me if you need to talk." he offered

I dog eared the page I was reading. I closed the book and set it on the table. I folded my hands on top of it and looked up at him. I stared at him for a minute. He was an attractive guy. He had a great smile and a nice face. His smile gave out maybe sixty watts, but was nothing next to Carlos.

"You have all of your friends on your list?" I asked

He dropped his jaw and his eyes grew wide. "Stephanie, you are not on my list."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't think you'll hit your fifty virgins without me. According to the three stooges I am next."

"That was a joke." he brushed it off.

"A joke? Joe, you're sixteen years old and you've already screwed over twenty girls." I shook my head in disgust.

"It's the Morelli libido. I can't control it." he shrugged and then collected himself. "You're not one of those girls Steph."

"Why not? What am I?" I asked

"I don't know. You're beautiful. You're smart. You're such a freaking good person." he paused while he took a breath. "You're everything I don't deserve."

I looked at him confused. I wasn't sure how to respond to this. I wasn't prepared for him to say these things. He reached across the table and took my hand in his. He squeezed it to get my attention, I looked up into his eyes. Nice eyes. Milk chocolate covered eyes.

"It's more than a crush. I don't know how to explain it. Since I was four I have been drawn to you. Half obsessed with you. I can't really tell you what exactly my heart feels. I can only tell you that you are someone special to me. You are someone important to me." he looked deep into my eyes.

"Just so you know I won't be on your list." I confirmed

"I don't want you to be. If it happens between us it won't be because of a list." he smiled

"I have to go." I pulled my hands away and stood up.

"I'm here if you need me." he called after me.

I spun around. "Joe, all hell's about to break loose. You're going to hear all kinds of bad things about me. You should stay far away from me so you don't get dragged into my mess."

He jumped to his feet and pulled me into a hug. "There is nothing that could ever make me stop caring about you."

"We'll see." I told him as I pulled away.

I went to Juniak's house and checked under the mat. There was a note 'tomorrow morning at 10am meet me here at 9:30'

Wow! This was all happening so fast. I was scared now. My parents were going to flip out. Valerie would hate me more than she already does. School would be a nightmare. It was already hard. I was already considered a freak. This would only feed fuel to the fire. I wanted to go to Abuela's house and tell her, but I knew I had to stay away. I had to respect Carlos' wishes. I decided to go to the library.

The next morning Juniak and I were sitting across from his lawyer, Mr. Thompson. We had just explained everything and were both waiting on his response.

"I think we can do this. Of course we will have to petition for Helen Plum to comply with a DNA test. Joe, you are an upstanding member of this community and you have the means to support Stephanie. And you Stephanie, you are fourteen years old and can speak up for yourself. I'm not so worried about court and what the judge will decide. I am worried about the court of public opinion. Are you both ready to face the backlash that will come from this?"

"It's worth it to have my daughter." he reached over and patted my leg. "I will help her get through this."

I nodded in agreement.

"Are you afraid to be home when they find out the papers have been filed?" Mr. Thompson asked me.

I nodded again.

"I will file for temporary custody while the judge considers the case." he wrote some things down on paper. "Go home and pack up some clothes and what you need. I am going to file today. Come back here at four o'clock and Joe should be able to pick you up and take you back to his house. I don't want you at home when Frank and Helen are notified."

I nodded again. The gentleman shook hands and Juniak and I walked out of the office together.

"Are you sure you're ready for this? Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked me

"Yes." I answered

He smiled and wrapped and arm around my shoulders and gave i a squeeze.

"I'll see you at four o'clock Steph." he smiled at me

"See ya." I agreed

I went home and packed my things. I only had some clothes and a few toiletries. I needed to take my books. Especially the Beauty and the Beast one Abuela had given me. I didn't really own anything else that I wanted to take. I had to use two bags. I had some old school backpacks that I had to use. I opened my window and placed everything on the roof to the garage. I climbed out after them and moved across the roof. I tossed the bags down to the ground and moved over to the side so I could use the garage cans to lower myself to the ground.

By three thirty I was sitting in the waiting room at the lawyer's office. I was fidgeting with my hands. What if the court said no? What if I had to go back there and live with them? They would know I told Juniak. Maybe I could run away to Abuela's house? No. Carlos had told me to stay away from his family. Juniak came in and sat down beside me. He took my hand in his and gave it a squeeze. The lawyer came out and we both stilled. Juniak got to his feet and pulled me up to stand beside him.

A smile spread across Mr. Thompson's face. "The judge has not only approved the temporary custody, he issued a restraining order against Helen and Frank. He is very understanding to our case. We need to go to the police station and get the DNA samples taken."

Juniak pulled me into a hug and I felt a smile creep across my face. He held out his hand and thanked Mr. Thompson. He picked up my bags and I followed him out to his car. We drove to the police station so we could both have our mouths swabbed. Then he drove me to his house and showed me to my room.

"You can choose any of the spare rooms, but this one will give you your own bathroom. Monica had me update it several years ago." he smiled and seemed to be thinking back.

He carried my bags in and set them on the bed. "It's funny. When I told her I thought you were mine, she agreed. She wanted to convert the fourth bedroom into a bathroom with a big closet. She thought one day we might need it. She was right." he sat down on the bed. "I wish she was here. You would have loved her."

"Anytime I saw her she was always nice to me." I smiled at him.

"Have you thought about how your Godmother is going to act?" he asked me

"I don't really know for sure what Mrs. Gazarra will do. She is always very nice to me. She and Mrs. Costanza have always supported me. Carl and Eddie are my best friends." I explained

"I want to hear all about your life." he told me "But not tonight. I am going to make us some dinner. How about baked ziti?"

"You can cook?" I was surprised

"Not as well as Monica did, but she taught me some recipes." he smiled

"That sounds delicious." I nodded

"Go ahead and unpack." he left me alone in the room.

Six months had passed. The transition from Frank and Helen Plum's daughter to Joe Juniak's daughter had been easier than I ever imagined in some ways. He treated me like I was gold. He was more strict on where I went and when I was expected home. He actually cared about what I did during the day. I wasn't yet comfortable with calling him dad but I was able to refer to him as 'my dad' when explaining to Carl or Eddie that my dad wanted me home at a certain hour. I called him Joe and he called me sunshine.

In the beginning Helen and Frank disregarded the restraining order and kept coming to the house. It was terrible to listen to them arguing on the front porch. My mother wanted me back so shut up the gossips. She and Frank never said they missed me or they loved me. Joe told them they were idiots. He told them they had lost an amazing daughter. He told them they didn't deserve me.

The DNA results had come back so she could no longer deny that Joe Juniak was my father. The judge spoke to me in his chambers. I told him all about the conversation I had overheard. He spoke to Mrs. Costanza and Mrs Gazarra before he made the decision to give full custody to Joe Juniak. My mother was allowed supervised visitation. We only had one meeting where she berated me and slapped me in the local McDonald's where we had met for the visit. The social worker who was supervising immediately called the police. Then the restraining order went back into effect.

I was starting to struggle in school. The constant gossip going around about me really affected me more than I thought it would. The three stooges worked harder at making my life a living hell. I was kicked off the Baton twirling team. The coach was a friend of my mother. Valerie no longer ignored me. Instead she told me I ruined her life. She worked hard daily to ruin mine. She spread rumors and actually paid girls to threaten me and even go as far as physically attacking me. Morelli was still nice to me, but was more focused on adding to his list than pursuing our friendship. I heard he was almost up to thirty girls now.

Joe pulled me out of public school and enrolled me in St. Ann's catholic school. It was an opportunity to start over. Of course I was already familiar with some of the boys and girls just from knowing their families around town. They were curious about me, but seemed to be much more understanding of my situation. I had a wonderful homeroom teacher who had discovered my love of reading. She assigned me more advanced books and challenged me to take tests and write reports to keep up with my comprehension. She asked me about college and I told her my plans were for Rutgers. She told me to set my sites towards Princeton instead.

Joe was wonderful to me. He bought me books and installed a book case in my room, He would give me a budget and let me pick my own clothes. I lost two of my four babysitting jobs because they were friends with my mother. My new brother Sal came to visit me and took me into the family with open arms. He was also happy his dad would have company. It made me think of Abuela. Today I was going to visit her no matter what. I had decided I was allowed to check in on her no matter what Carlos thought.

I knocked on the back door but didn't enter. I waited for her to answer. She looked tired. She had dark circles under her eyes and they were red. She had been crying and she obviously wasn't sleeping. She pulled me into a hug as soon as I stepped into the kitchen. Tears welled in my eyes as I squeezed her right back. She started making cookies and I sat down to tell her about the last six months of my life.

"And are you happy?" she asked me when I was finished

"Yes, mostly I am." I smiled and nodded

"Mostly?" she asked

"What's wrong Abuela? What's going on?" I asked her

She lowered her head and let out a deep sigh. She was struggling. Deciding whether to tell me or not. I reached across the table and grabbed her hand. I squeezed it gently and she looked up at my face.

"Please tell me." I pleaded

She nodded in agreement before he spoke. "Carlos was arrested last night."

"What?" I jumped to my feet.

"He has been hanging around the wrong crowd. We think he's been stealing cars and bringing them in to chop shops to make money." she began to wring her hands.

"What happens now?" I asked

"We need to get him away from these kids. This gang." she sighed

"Where can he go?" I asked

"We have been trying to get him to go stay with his Abuela Rosa in Miami for a while." she covered his face with both hands.

"Why Miami?" I asked

"To get him far from the thugs he seems to be associating with. Rosa has two sons both in Miami, both police officers. They can get him into their cadet program." she explained

"So then what's the problem?" I asked

"We can't get Carlos to agree to it." she heaved out another heavy sigh.

"He's in Newark?" I asked

"Yes." she nodded

"Don't move. Don't leave. Wait here for me." I told her

I ran out the door and jogged the whole way home. I called Joe and told him I needed help when he got off of work.

"I'll be there in thirty-five." he assured me.

As soon as he came home I filled him in on what was happening with Carlos. He called and found out which station in Newark Carlos was being held at and then offered to drive Abuela and I there. We picked up Abuela and she seemed a bit relieved that we were going to see Carlos. Along the way I told Joe all about him. I explained how we first met when I was two and he saved me from getting hit by a car. I explained about almost drowning. He knew about that part because Mrs. Costanza had brought it up when she was making her statement about why my mother was unfit to have custody of me. Still, he shivered when I recounted it. For the first time I told him about Morelli's garage and what game he wanted to play. I saw his knuckles get white on the steering wheel. I continued with telling him everything about Carlos.

When we got to the station Joe had Abuela and I sit down while he spoke to the officer in charge. He came back and said they would bring Carlos to a room for me to speak with him. He said Abuela could visit too. He was waiting for the Chief of police to come and Carlos' parents were on the way. I didn't understand all that was happening. All I could think of was seeing Carlos.

A few minutes later Abuela and I were led to a room. Carlos was sitting at a table and there were two chairs across from him. He looked up when we came in. His eyes were filled with surprise and confusion. Abuela crossed the room and pulled him into a hug as she sobbed. She spoke in Spanish and he responded in Spanish as well. After a few minutes he squeezed her tight and then released her. She patted him on the shoulder and then turned for the door.

"I'll wait for my Daughter and son-in-law." she told me as she patted my shoulder.

The door shut and I sat down in a chair across from him. He sat down as well but didn't speak. We sat silently for a couple of minutes. Finally I took a deep breath and spoke.

"Why?" I asked him

His head snapped up. His eyes angry. "Money"

"No not that." I shook my head

"Not what? I know. Everyone wants to know. Why was I hanging out with those guys? Why did I join a gang? Why did I boost cars? I know all of the questions you want answered and my only answer is money." he glared at me

"None of those. That's not what I'm asking." I took a deep breath. "Why did you break up with me?"

He set both elbows onto the table and laid his head in his hands. He ran his hands through his hair that was longer now and let out a low growl of frustration.

"Why are you here?" he asked me

"After all of the times you were there for me...I didn't want to let you down." I explained

He shook his head and the end of his mouth lightly lifted. "You never disappoint."

"Now tell me why Carlos." I reached across the table and pulled one of his hands in mine.

"This life Babe...this life doesn't lend itself to relationships. I couldn't have you visiting here anymore. I didn't want an enemy of mine to see you. Hell, I didn't want one of my friends to see you." he squeezed my hand.

I pulled my hand away and dropped my head. "Because you were embarrassed?"

He reached across the table and tipped my head up with his fingers. "I was trying to protect you. I can't stand the idea of you being hurt."

I felt the tears well in my eyes. "It's important to protect me physically but not emotionally?"

"Emotionally? Babe someone could really hurt you just to get back at me." his hand stroked my jaw line.

"You broke my heart." I whispered

His jaw tightened in anger. The door opened and he pulled his hand away. Joe was there with a man and woman who were clutching on to each other and Abuela. He stopped and looked back and forth from me to Carlos. I got to my feet and went to him for a hug. He pulled me in tight and kissed the top of my head. He pulled me away and made introductions.

"Stephanie this is Mariposa and Anton Manoso. Carlos' parents." he informed me

"Please call me Mari." Carlos' mother extended her hand and I shook it.

"You are more beautiful than Carlos and Abuela described." Carlos' father told me

He shook my hand and I felt a blush flow through my cheeks.

"Everyone sit down please." Joe ordered.

I took a seat in a chair against the wall and Abuela moved in next to me. Mari and Anton sat across from Carlos.

"Here's what's going to happen. Carlos is going to be released and he is going to Miami. Rosa Manosa will be awarded custody. His uncles will get him enrolled in the cadet program there. He will get back into high school and maintain a grade point average of 3.5." Joe announced.

My jaw dropped along with every jaw in the room besides Carlos. Joe looked at Carlos and then crossed the room. He stood next to him and reached out for the chair Carlos was in. He turned the chair hard so that Carlos was facing him. I was worried about Carlos and almost got to my feet. I looked at Joe's face. he wasn't angry but he was focused.

"I have called in a lot of favors. I went to the academy with the Chief of Police here and the Judge is a good friend of mine from College. You must agree to this or you will be going to Juvenile Hall. This is your first offense so you would likely be sentenced there for two years." Joe told Carlos

Mari gasped and Abuela crossed herself. Anton and I sat there quietly. We all waited for Carlos to speak.

"What about my family?" Carlos asked

"You should have thought about them before. Bringing home money you earned from boosting cars was a stupid move. If you go to Juvy they won't have that money anyway." he shook his head at Carlos.

"We're going to sell one of the Cafe's" Anton announced. "We are going to focus on just one and that will help with the money. We're changing a lot of things Carlos. This was an eye opener for us all."

"To think you did this to earn money for our family." Mari cried as she shook her head. "Your sisters will be getting jobs if they want to remain in College and your brother will be helping full time at the cafe'."

"We put too much on your shoulders." his father admitted

"Take this offer." Abuela pleaded

Carlos looked back at Joe. "Why?"

Joe let out a big sigh. "Because you have saved my daughter many times. I wouldn't have her in my life right now if she had drowned or got hit by a car. She would not be the same person if she never met you."

Carlos turned to look at me and our eyes held. Joe cleared his throat.

"For some unknown reason she cares about you. She believes in you and thinks the world of you. Maybe giving you this opportunity for fresh start will allow you the chance to become the young man she believes you are." Joe told him

We all sat in silence. Abuela took my hand in hers and Carlos' parents glanced my way. Carlos looked at me again. He searched my face. He looked confused. I let go of Abuela's hand and crossed the room to him. I stood next to Joe and he wrapped his arm around my waist.

"You have worked so hard to take care of your family and now you owe it to yourself to take care of you. I know you can do this." I told him

Joe waited a few seconds and then spoke to Carlos again. "Are you willing to agree to this and move to Miami? Agree to the terms?"

Carlos looked to his Abuela and then to his parents before settling his eyes back on me. I gave him a watery smile and wiped the tears that slowly slid down my face. He jumped to his feet and caught one more tear that I had missed. I stepped towards him and Joe released the arm around my waist. Carlos pulled me into his arms and squeezed me tight. I hugged him back and almost pulled away to kiss him before I remembered we were in a room filled with our families. He pulled away and looked at me.

"I'll do it. I won't let you down." he told me before he looked at Abuela and his parents. "I'll make you all proud."

He moved in front of Joe and held out his hand. Joe shook it.

"You won't regret this. I don't know what I did to deserve someone like Stephanie in my life. I won't mess this up. I give you my word." Carlos told him

Joe nodded. "That's all I needed to hear. I'm going to get the paperwork. You will leave in the morning."

"We can't afford to fly him there that quickly." Anton tried to explain.

"It's taken care of." Joe waved him off. "I'll come and find you when I have the paperwork for you to sign."

"We can't thank you enough." Anton shook Joe's hand.

"Thank you." Mari threw her arms around Joe and hugged him.

"God bless you." Abuela pulled him into a hug before he went out the door.

Carlos moved past me and went to his mother. He stood before her and hung his head.

"I'm sorry Madre." he whispered to her

She pulled him in her arms and spoke Spanish as she cried. It sounded like she was comforting him. She rubbed his back and cried. Anton reached around her and hugged them both. I moved around them to head towards the door. I wanted to leave them alone in this family moment. Abuela stopped me and pulled me into her arms.

"You are family too." she reminded me

There were hugs and tears all around the room for the next few minutes. Joe came to retrieve Mari and Anton. Abuela followed along and Carlos and I were left alone again. He tugged me into his arms and held me tightly against him. He stroked the back of my hair and kissed the top of my head.

"Dios, I've missed you so much Babe." he whispered "I'm sorry I hurt you. If it's any consolation it wasn't easy to let you go."

I pulled away and wiped my eyes. "Just focus on doing what you need to do."

"I want to be the man you deserve." he stoked my cheek

"You already are." I told him

Joe came to collect me and I pulled out of Carlos' arms. He reluctantly let go of my cheek.

"You've got two minutes Steph." Joe warned and then closed the door.

Carlos cupped my face with both hands and pulled me into a kiss. It was a deep and demanding kiss filled with emotion. His hands slid into my hair and he held my head as he pulled me even closer to him. My hands fisted in the back of his hair. I felt heat flush through my body. I had almost forgotten how his kisses felt. His hands slid down to my waist and I wrapped my hands around his neck. Our tongues continued to dance and our lips were pressed so tightly together they almost hurt. Finally he slid his hands up my body and back to my face. He pulled me away slightly and held my face as he looked into my eyes.

"So beautiful." he whispered. "Your heart is so big." then he smiled.

"You're smiling?" I asked

"This is the smile of a guy who loves you Babe." he pulled me in for a quick kiss before releasing me.

"I..." I bit my lower lip unsure of what to say.

"Don't come in the morning. Let this be our goodbye for now. I promise I'll contact you once I get there." he told me

"But..." I tried to complain

"Please." he pleaded

"Okay Carlos." I reached out and grabbed him into a hug again. "Be careful. Don't get hurt."

"The only thing that can hurt me is you Babe." he kissed me on the head and then pulled away.

There was a knock on he door and I giggled. "My time is up. Have a safe flight."

"You have a great father Babe." he gave me his five hundred watt smile and I melted.

"I know." I nodded before I opened the door.

I crashed into Joe and Squeezed him tight. I cried gently against his chest.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." I kept murmuring.

He pulled me away and smiled when he looked at my face. "I love you sunshine. He's a big reason I have you in my life. I have no problem helping a friend of yours. I believe in your judgement."

I cried harder.

"What's wrong?" he looked concerned

"I just..." I stammered "You love me."

"Of course I love you. You're my daughter." he smiled.

***************THANK YOU ******

I know this is a very long chapter, but I didn't want to make a new one when I am keeping each chapter for only that age in her life.

Thanks to the guest reviewer who pointed out I slipped a couple of times in the last chapter and wrote Ranger instead of Carlos. I went back and fixed it.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8- Sixteen Years Old

"I'm sorry Stephanie. You are just not welcome at the funeral." Valerie told me as she hung up the phone.

My grandfather Mazur had passed away and I wasn't allowed to attend the funeral. Well, I guess I could go if I wanted to, but I would not be welcomed. When my grandparents found out about Joe Juniak being my father they had shunned me. I never expected it. They had always been so good to me. They were my refuge. My grandma had phoned me once and told me I no longer needed them. She said I had Abuela and my new family. Valerie needed their attention now. I don't know if it was jealousy or if she felt sorry for her daughter or what it was. I tried a few times to visit them or call them but they suddenly wanted nothing to do with me. Joe had tried to talk to them for me but they wouldn't give him any answers either. So I let it go until I read Grandpa's obituary in the newspaper. It hadn't even mentioned me at all.

 ****Flashback****

Last summer had been a busy one. I had gone down to Florida with Joe so I could visit my Grandma Juniak for the first time. She was wonderful. She showed me baby pictures of my father. She told me of how badly he wished I was his. He had confessed his affair to her shortly after it happened. He confessed to his wife shortly after that. One thing I had learned above all else was that Joe Juniak had integrity and honor but was still fallible. In our short time together he had taught me taking responsibility and admitting mistakes was more important than not making them at all. It was shortly after this that I began calling him dad. In the beginning it was a little weird but now it came out so naturally.

When we were in Florida I got to see Carlos. Grandma Juniak, dad and myself had all gone over to his Grandma Rosa's house for lunch. Carlos looked good. He looked happy. He was keeping up his grades but wasn't enjoying the cadet program. He didn't want to become a cop but he liked the physical training. He petitioned the judge to join the ROTC program at his school and he was granted permission. Dad was happy that Carlos was living up to his end of the bargain. He had asked to speak to Carlos alone and I admit I did eavesdrop a little. He reminded him that he had to stick to the requirements set forth by the judge until he turned eighteen. Dad told Carlos he wasn't worried about him following the guidelines and that he was impressed with his hard work. My heart filled with joy when I heard dad tell Carlos he was proud of him.

After lunch we were allowed some time alone together in the backyard. We sat at a table with cookies and water and fell back into our comfortable groove. We talked about what had been going on in our lives. He was worried about how I was adjusting to life without Frank and Helen. I told him about moving schools and about my new brother Sal. I explained how my grades had soared and I was already looking at which Colleges I would be applying to. He told me he wanted to come back to New Jersey and go to Rutgers. He wasn't nervous about running into old gang friends. He was sure that was all behind him now. With only one cafe' to worry about his parents were doing much better. They had moved to a smaller house in a better area and seemed happier than ever.

"Are you still on Morelli's list?" He suddenly asked me

I nearly spit out my water. "What?"

"Well, it's not like we ever really discussed getting back together." he looked nervous "or being exclusive."

"I e-mail you every week." I reminded him

"Yes and we help each other with problems and laugh about stupid youtube videos and memes." he agreed

"No Carlos. I am not on his list." I rolled my eyes

"Still friends with him?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you ask me these thing over e-mail?" I asked before it clicked "You wanted to see my reaction."

"Babe"

I shook my head "I wouldn't lie to you whether it's face to face or electronically."

"I know." he agreed. "So? Friends?"

"I told you I made some new friends at school. Colleen, Ben, Charles and Brett." I shook my head again.

"And you still have your old friends?" he asked

"Yes I still have a few of my old friends" I rolled my eyes

"Just?" he pushed

"Just what?" I asked

"Just friends with them all?" he inquired

"Why? Why do you want to know?" I asked him

"Just curious." his face showed no emotion.

"I hate that whole blank face thing you do now. You never did that to me before." I noticed.

"I had no choice. When I was with the gang I had to learn to hide my emotions." he explained

"You're not with the gang anymore. Right now you are with me. I am your friend." I glared a bit when I spoke my last sentence.

"Just friends?" he asked

"Are you talking about us or Morelli?" I was confused

"Both." he fixed his eyes on mine.

"I don't have time for anything more than friends. I am focused on my last two years of school. Sal got me into a couple of summer courses for criminology." I explained

"You wanna work for the FBI?" he asked me

"No. Maybe a freelancer. I can be hired on by different agencies. Offering criminal profiles and behavior. I can advise police departments, government agencies, help with jury selection. There's a lot I can do in the field." I explained

"Sounds interesting." he nodded

"And you?" I asked

"Not sure yet. Maybe become some kind of tactical advisor for the military or government. MY CO in ROTC thinks I have a natural ability to lead and have led our squad to wins in every mission drill they have assigned." he shrugged

"Maybe we can work together some day." I smiled

"So you don't want to or you don't have time?" he pushed

"Are we back to this friend conversation?" I asked him

"Babe"

"How about you? Do you have many friends here?" I asked

"Yes, I've made some good friends." he nodded

"Like that guy Lester you wrote me about?" I asked

"Yeah." he replied

"Any friends who are girls?" I asked

"No." he answered quickly

"Oh." I was a little surprised.

"Surprised?" he laughed "All of your friends are guys. So you expected me to have friends that are girls?"

"No...well...I just wondered." I bit into my lower lip.

"What about prom for you?" he asked

"What about it?" I asked

"What about it? Are you going to your Junior Prom?" He asked

"Carlos! That's not until next summer." I shook my head.

"Are you going with a friend? Carl? Eddie? Morelli?" he pushed

I rolled my eyes. "You're not going to let it go?"

"No" his eyes were serious.

I took a deep breath and then blew it out. "I don't have feelings like that for Carl, Eddie or Morelli."

"Someone new?" he asked

"We used to never have such a problem with communicating." I shook my head

"Fine. Are you only friends because you don't want more or you're really too busy? Are you dating someone? Do you like someone? Can I kiss you?"

"NO!" I told him

I got up and waked away from the table. I moved over to the side of the house and Carlos followed me. I leaned my back against the house and closed my eyes. I knew he was standing there. Whenever he was close I still felt the prickle of energy on the back of my neck. How could I tell him? How could I explain that he was still the only one I kissed. He was still the only guy I thought about when I pictured a future. How could I explain that while I never wanted any part of typical girly things I did want to go to my prom, but only with him. I felt him move closer. The sounds near my ears told me he had rested his hands against the wall on either side of my face. I could feel his warm breath against my lips.

"Babe" he whispered

I didn't respond. I was trying to control myself. I didn't want to get hurt again. Everything had been so emotional the last time we had been together at the police station in Newark I had let down my guard. I had forgotten for one night at least how badly he had hurt me. All of our e-mails had been friendly. I wasn't prepared to lose whatever small friendship remained between us. We never really talked more about any of it.

"Are you mad at me?"

I shook my head.

"You hate me?" he asked

I shook my head

"Morelli?" he asked

I shook my head.

"What is it Babe? Is it someone else?" he asked

"It's only you." I whispered in return as his lips crashed down onto mine.

His whole body pressed into me as he pinned me against the side of the house. I was overcome with emotions and lust. I wanted him. I wanted him to love me. I wanted him to need me. I had spent many hours thinking about him being my first. My lips parted and our kiss deepened. His hands moved up and down the sides of my body and I wrapped my arms around his waist. I moaned when he pushed himself against me. His knee pushed against my legs and slid in between them. Desire and need coursed through my body. I quickly lifted both hands to his chest and gently pushed him away. We stood there silently. His hands moved into my hair and his eyes focused on my face.

"You are even more beautiful than the last time I had you in my arms." he half whispered.

"Carlos." I dropped my head back and it hit the brick. He moved his hand behind my head and rubbed it gently.

"What's wrong Babe?" he stroked my hair.

"I don't want to get hurt again." I admitted

"Then don't bang your head into a brick wall." he flashed me his bright smile and I couldn't resist returning it.

"Not that way." I playfully slapped at his shoulder.

"I don't want to hurt you Steph." he assured me

"But you did. You did before and it was so easy." I let my hands drop to my sides

"It wasn't easy. It was one of the hardest things I ever did. I did it to protect you." he reached down and grabbed both of my hands in his.

"And now? If you feel the need to protect me again?" I asked

He laced our fingers together. "I don't know. I feel possessive of you. I don't want to share you with anyone. I want you all to myself. I constantly worry about you. I worry about your safety. I worry about someone else getting into your heart."

"You worry?" I rolled my eyes.

"Yes. I worry about a lot of things." he admitted

He pulled one of my hands up and kissed each of my fingers. I stared a his face. I don't know what I was looking for. He had changed. He looked stronger. He had more muscles. He had a new intimidating look about him. He was still my Carlos only different. I closed my eyes and leaned my head forward. He moved in and rested his forehead against mine.

"I'm not asking you to be with me. I'm not asking you to wait for me. I'm not even sure what I'm asking you at all." he spoke softly

"I just don't want to lose you." I confided

"You won't." he reassured me

"But you can't guarantee..." I began

"I can. I can guarantee you that you will never lose me. I will always be a part of your life." he pulled back and kissed my nose.

"Steph?" I heard my dad's voice.

"Just a minute." I called out

"I have to go." I told Carlos

"The only thing I can ask you to do is to keep lots of friends and stay off all lists." he smiled and I laughed

"I can do that." I smiled "Can you do the same?"

"Never been a problem. Not since I was two years old." he winked at me

I fell forward into him and pressed my face into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and I was engulfed in the warmth of his body.

"You're always going to be special to me. You're always going to be a part of me." I spoke into his chest

He kissed the top of my head and rubbed my back. When we pulled away he took my hand and led me back to the table. He picked up a cookie and placed t into my mouth.

"Now you can't talk." he teased "So just listen. You are mine. You've always been mine and you're always going to be mine."

My mouth fell open and the cookie dropped to the ground.

"Uhm...Carlos...uh" I was stammering and my eyes were quickly opening and closing.

He wrapped his hand around my neck and pulled me closer. He kissed my forehead and left his lips pressed against me as he spoke.

"Shh querida. Don' say anything. We don't need to talk about it anymore." his lips brushed against my head as he spoke. (dear)

"Okay you two." My father's voice came from the open back door.

"Sorry." I blushed as I pulled out of Carlos' grip.

 ****end flashback****

"Earth to Steph!" I heard the voice and quickly snapped out of my memories.

"Sorry. I was..." I shook my head and blinked my eyes into focus.

"I know the end of the day is boring." she said as I stepped away from the counter.

"I am going to see a movie tonight." I told my boss

"With Joe Morelli?" she asked

"NO! With MaryLou and Colleen." I shook my head and leaned against the wall.

"That sounds nice." she smiled.

"Ugh! Why do people always think I am with Morelli?" I asked her

"We all see the way he looks at you. Plain and simple he wants you on his list. You have to be the last virgin he hasn't gotten to. Something about him having forty-nine on his list." Lisa laughed

"Well, I'm not going to be fifty." I rolled my eyes.

"You know he's got it bad when even the parents know what he's up to." she laughed "You don't stand a chance."

"What?" I was confused.

"I don't think he's ever heard the word no. If he has it was only a moment until it was changed to yes." she laughed

 ****Flashback****

I was working at the Tasty Pastry. I had been working here since I had turned Sixteen in October. It was a good job and I got free donuts and sweets. The first time my mother came in here she had turned and stomped right back out the door. Less than an hour later Frank Plum came in ranting and raving about ruining their lives. He yelled about how I had even ruined their lives from day one. When he said I should have never been born everyone in the bakery had gasped. I hadn't noticed that Morelli had entered with his mother and grandmother sometime during the argument. I tried to argue that it wasn't my choice to be born.

Morelli grabbed Frank Plum and threw him against the wall.

"Leave her alone." Morelli ordered

"Fuck you punk." Frank spat out.

"You need to go." He told Frank as he pulled him away from the wall and released him.

Frank laughed and then looked over Morelli's shoulder and caught my eye.

"I always knew you'd be a slut. Just because you gave him your virginity doesn't mean you will be the future Mrs. Joe Morelli." he yelled out

Morelli grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pushed him towards the door. Women moved quickly parting to make a path.

"Maybe he will marry you and then you will have the life you deserve. Married to a drunken, cheating abuser. Just like his father."

Those were the last words Frank got out of his mouth before Joe Morelli tossed him through the glass door. Everyone moved closer to watch Morelli straddling Frank. He was pummeling him with his fists when four squad cars pulled up. They separated the men and my father pulled Morelli aside as Frank was cuffed and thrown into the back of a squad car. Frank was charged with violating the restraining order, harassment, and public fighting. When Frank Plum pressed charges against Joe Morelli they were dismissed because every witness said Morelli was defending himself.

Helen and Frank Plum had a very hard time with Burg life after that. They had moved to Hamilton shortly after Frank recovered from his injuries. It was only ten minutes away from their old house but in Jersey it was a world away. The whole incident had helped Morelli's reputation. He was still viewed as a sex starved teenager but now he had a heart. He was a gentleman at least where I was concerned.

 ****end flashback****

"STEPH!" my boss screamed

"I'm sorry Lisa. It's just hot and I am tired. Let me make it up to you." I offered as I moved to grab a broom.

"Okay. Close up so I can get to the mall. Macy's is having a shoe sale." she told me.

"No problem." I smiled as I continued to sweep.

"Thanks Steph. I know how hard you work when we get our rushes." she patted me on the shoulder before she grabbed her purse to leave.

The rushes were crazy. I was only working the weekends during the school year, but worked during the week when I was on school vacation. Mornings were always the worst. Sunday afternoons we always got a second rush with the church crowd. But today was Saturday and all customers usually dried up by four o'clock on Saturday and we were open until six. I glanced up at the clock and saw it had just hit five. I got busy cleaning and doing everything I could so I would be able to close faster. It only took me about forty minutes to sweep, mop and wipe down every surface. I had the mop bucket and broom leaned up against the wall waiting to do the front area after I locked the door. I had twenty minutes to go.

Prom was next weekend and I wasn't going. I had no date. I wasn't interested in any of the guys who asked me. Well I haven't been interested in any guy since I have known Carlos. Trenton High was having their prom the same night, so Eddie and Carl already had their own dates. I dismissed the thought and went back to my main job right now. Clock watching. I was watching the clock willing the hands to move quicker when I heard the bell ring. Someone had come in. I turned around to see Joe Morelli. We hadn't really talked in a couple of weeks. Rumor was he had enlisted in the Navy. I watched him strut up to the case that held cookies, cake and canolis. He checked out the food. He was walking back and forth in front of the glass display. Then he looked up at me and flashed me an incredibly sexy smile.

"Hey Cupcake." he smiled

"Morelli." I nodded

"Still working here I see." he noticed

"That would be why I am behind the counter wearing the apron." my voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Only you Steph." he shook his head but a smile was on his lips.

"Why only me?" I asked

"Are you kidding? You are the only girl outside of my family with balls to speak to me like that." he chuckled

"Like what?" I rolled my eyes

"Like normal." he shrugged.

"Wait. Let me come out from behind the counter and trip over myself when you smile." I offered

He held up his hand. "Smart ass."

"So other than entertain you what else can I do for you?" I asked

"Came in to get my mom some canolis. I'm glad I caught you before you closed." he smiled

"Just barely." I told him as I grabbed a piece of wax paper to get his order.

"I need a dozen chocolate filled, a dozen creme filled and a dozen mixed." he ordered

"That's a lot of canolis" I chuckled

"Big family party tonight." he explained

I picked out the canolis and loaded them into boxes. I pulled the string from the long roll and tied up his boxes. I glanced at the clock and wiggled my shoulders a little bit. It was time to close up and Lisa would be happy with how many canolis I sold.

"You're very happy." he noticed.

"After you I get to lock up and get out of here." I informed him

"Where are you headed?" he asked

"Movies." I told him as I began to ring up his order.

"Date?" he asked

"Yeah with Mary Lou and Colleen." I shook my head

I finished putting everything into the register and he gave me cash. When I gave him back the change he grabbed my hand. He brought his other hand up to hold mine as he slid his change into his tight jeans. He stared into my eyes but didn't say a word. I could feel the heat from his body. He tugged on my hand and led me around the counter until we were face to face. He pulled me into a hug and buried his face in my hair. He took a deep breath and then pulled back. He was inches from my face.

"You smell like cake." he told me

"I work in a bakery." I reminded him

"You smell good enough to eat." he whispered near my ear.

I put both hands on his chest and tried to push him away. It was like trying to move a rock. I could feel his muscles in his toned chest. I imagined the rest of his body had the same tone and just as many muscles. I would still bet Carlos could make more trips back and forth on the monkey bars than Morelli. He set his hands on my shoulders and slowly moved them down over my arms and onto my waist.

"What are you doing Morelli?" I asked him as I tried to push him away again.

"Trying to make you feel good Cupcake."

He pulled me into a hug and pressed his body tight against me. He was excited to be so close to me and I could feel his excitement pressing against me. I pushed at him harder and he moved back a little but he was still in my personal space.

"I'm at work." I told him

"I thought it was closing time." he raised an eyebrow.

"It is." I agreed

"Let me help you." he gave me a sexy grin

He pulled away from me and walked towards the door. He turned around the open sign so it read closed as it faced the window. He turned to smile at me. He walked towards the door and put his hand on the lock. Before he could turn it the door swung open. It crashed into his knee and he let out a grunt and stepped away from the door. My jaw dropped as I watched Carlos walk in. He didn't even acknowledge Morelli as he moved past him. He prowled towards me and grabbed me up in his arms. My feet were off the floor as he spun me around. He set me down and then kissed me before he pulled me into his arms.

"Carlos." I sighed

I turned my head to press it against his chest and let my hands fall to his waist. I heard a throat clear and we both looked over at Morelli. I quickly pulled away from Carlos.

"Sorry Joe." I caught my breath

I walked over to the counter and picked up his three boxes. I moved closer towards the door and handed them to him.

"You almost forgot your canolis." I smiled as he took the boxes.

"Thanks." he mumbled "See you around Cupcake."

He turned and I held the door open for him as he left. I closed it behind him and locked it. I turned to face Carlos as I leaned my back against the door. He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked me up and down and gave me his two hundred watt smile.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him

"Besides saving you from becoming number fifty?" he chuckled.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school? Are you here for the weekend?" I asked

"I took my finals early. I'm done for the year." he informed me.

"So you came to visit Abuela?" I asked

"And that too." he smiled again.

"So, why are you here?" I was totally confused.

He unfolded his arms and walked to me. He stopped when his face was inches from mine. He reached out a hand and cupped my face.

"I heard there was going to be a prom." his thumb stroked the side of my face. "Thought you might need a date."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. He leaned in and pressed me against the door. The heat from his body against mine felt like we could burn down the building. Our kiss was all passion. All desire. I moaned as his tongue danced with mine. His hands ran up and down my body. He pulled away and we were both breathless. I leaned my forehead into his chest.

"I don't even want to think about what number you want me to be on your list." I spoke softly.

"You would be number one Babe." he moved his hand under my chin and tipped my face up so our eyes would meet.

"You've always been number one." his lips brushed mine as he spoke.

One week later I was in my bedroom nervously sliding into my shoes. I looked at the full length mirror standing in my room. I had gotten my dress just two days ago. The dress was baby blue and strapless. Crystals covered the bodice. While it was form fitting there were two thin pieces of material hanging down from each side of my hips to make it more demure. My hair was down and fell past my shoulders. Abuela had used a curling iron and hot rollers to tame and contain some of my curls. She had also done my make-up since I never really wore anything more than mascara and lip gloss.

I spun around in a circle and smiled at my silver shoes. They had cost me a pretty penny from my savings but once dad had paid for the dress I couldn't ask for more. Though he gave me more without asking. I leaned closer to study the diamond stud earrings that decorated my ears. They belonged to his late wife Monica. He wanted me to have them and Sal agreed. Never in a million years did I think I could feel so happy and loved.

"How do I look?" I asked Abuela as I turned around to see her face.

"You are a vision." she smiled at me

She got up and took both of my hands and held them out to better see the dress. She smiled and her eyes welled with tears.

"I can't tell you what you mean to me. You changed our lives for the better." a tear fell onto her cheek.

"Oh my God. Don't cry Abuela." I pleaded

"Happy tears Stephanie. Happy tears." she assured me. "Let me go tell them you're ready."

I took a deep breath as I stood at the top of the stairs. I knew Carlos, Sal, Abuela and my dad were all waiting downstairs for me. I walked slowly, making sure I didn't trip on my dress. All eyes were on me as I made the last couple of steps and stopped just at the bottom. My father approached me first and took my hand.

"You look amazing." he kissed my cheek

"I'm not so sure how I feel about this." Sal smiled "My little sis looking hot is kind of gross."

We all laughed except for Carlos. His eyes were dark and focused on me. He took a step forward and slipped the corsage onto my wrist. He cupped my face in his hand and just looked into my eyes and took a deep breath.

"So beautiful." he whispered

"So intense." Sal mocked Carlos' voice as I shot him a glare.

My father cleared his throat and Carlos pulled his hand away. We were ushered to the back yard and posed for pictures. They made him take off my corsage and place it on again for the pictures. I pinned on his matching boutonniere and the cameras clicked away. Finally it was time to go. My father would drive us to the prom and then we would be taking a car with friends to Seaside to hang out for the night. It was what everyone in Jersey did for prom. My father didn't want to allow it, but he eventually caved.

When we stepped outside I gasped when I saw the black limo. I turned to look at my father and he shrugged.

"I wanted to make sure you had a safe ride. I don't trust someone else to drive you when there may be drinking involved." he admitted

I hugged him and kissed his cheek. "I know the rules."

He glanced at Carlos and they both nodded as my father reminded him about his main rule. "No drinking."

"Yes Sir." Carlos agreed

"Have fun." Abuela told us.

"Not too much fun." Sal glared at Carlos.

We got to the prom and I introduced Carlos to my new friend Colleen. I was on cloud nine as we walked around the gym. Every girl in the room had their eyes on Carlos as soon as we came in and I was the lucky girl with him. He steered me around with his hand on my lower back allowing me to introduce him to my friends and classmates. We danced and took breaks to drink punch. He made small talk with my new friends Charles and Brett. He was trying hard for me. I knew it wasn't easy for him to be outgoing. Whenever I moved no matter where I was his eyes found mine. He always gave me a smile. It was like he was only thinking about me no matter what else he was doing.

The man could dance! We did the salsa and he was surprised I knew how to move with him. All night long he peppered my face with sweet kisses. We were in the middle of a dance when I saw a hand tap Carlos' shoulder. He turned around and I saw Joe Morelli.

"One dance?" he asked

Carlos looked back at me and I shrugged.

"One dance." Carlos nodded

Carlos stepped away and Morelli took me in his arms. He wrapped his right hand around my waist and grabbed my hand with the other. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Rumba?" he asked as I nodded

We moved together slowly. He guided me into turns and spins as we glided around. I felt eyes on me and turned to see some other couples had stopped to watch us. I looked over Morelli's shoulder and saw Carlos standing at the side of the floor. He was leaning against a column with his arms crossed. We danced for another minute before I pulled Joe into a hug and then let go of his hand.

"The song isn't over." he protested

"I need to get back to my date." I explained

"I could make you forget you came with him." Joe whispered.

I whipped my head to look at his face. I smiled and gave out a low chuckle. "And what about your date?"

I pulled away from Morelli and made my way to Carlos. He watched me walking towards him and pulled himself away from the column. When I got closer he opened his arms and I fell into them. There is nothing sexier than a man holding his arms open for you. I sighed contently as I turned my head to rest it against his powerful chest.

"You two seem to dance well together." he noticed

"We were partners in Ballroom dancing class." I explained

"You didn't finish the dance." he kissed the top of my head.

"I missed you." I closed my eyes and let my body relax in his arms.

"I guess I can stop picturing ways to kill Morelli." he chuckled.

I laughed "I only have eyes for you."

The limo driver took us to Seaside and pulled up in front of the house. We moved past the house and I slipped my shoes off as we walked through the sand. Carlos and I took a long walk in the sand. We watched the moon light up the waves as they crashed against the shore. It was peaceful to have some time alone. After a short while we headed up to the house to get changed. Colleen's parents owned a summer house at the shore and that's where the party would be. When we walked in it was loud. Music was playing and people were talking and laughing. We headed up the stairs to a room Colleen had saved for us. I was nervous when I stepped in and saw one bed. Carlos handed me my bag and ushered me into the bathroom before he closed the door behind me. I changed into a black mini skirt with a red tank top. I fluffed up my hair and checked on my make-up. I was happy everything stayed in place. I knocked loud on the door before I came out. Carlos chose black jeans and a form fitting black t-shirt.I smiled when I saw him.

"I can sleep on the floor or the couch." he suggested

"No it's fine." I shrugged

"You look like you are about to hyperventilate. Does sharing a bed with me really freak you out so much?" he laughed

"No." I rolled my eyes

"Yes." he laughed

"Maybe a little." I admitted

He gave me a quick hug and then tossed our bags into the closet. He carefully hung his tux and my dress onto the same hanger and placed it on the bar in the closet. We headed downstairs to join the party. We walked around for a bit before we settled on what we each wanted to do. Carlos joined in on the poker game that was happening in the dining room. I stood around with my friends talking about dresses and prom gossip. I was chugging a bottle of water while most of my friends were drinking beer and mixed drinks.

Someone changed the song and turned up the music and people were nodding along or dancing. A girl jumped up on a high top table near the bar and started dancing. She was grinding her hips in the air. I didn't recognize her at first until she turned around. It was Joyce Barnhardt. When she pulled off her shirt most of the guys let out cheers and applause. I glanced at Carlos who was getting to his feet. The poker game ended when the little show began. He moved over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist with my back to his front.

"It's like a car crash. You don't want to watch but you can't look away." Colleen said

"I know." I agreed

"She's not shy." Carlos added as Colleen and I laughed.

We watched as Joyce began to remove her skirt. She was now dancing on the table in nothing but her underwear and bra. I could tell she was drunk by the way she was swaying. I pulled away from Carlos and went over to the table.

"JOYCE!" I hollered trying to get her attention

She ignored me and kept grinding her hips. The song changed to one with more of a hip hop beat and she really started shaking her butt.

"JOYCE!" I hollered again

She still didn't notice me. I set both hands on the table and hoisted myself up. The crowd went crazy cheering and clapping. I turned around and shook my head at them. I grabbed Joyce's arm and turned her to me.

"Joyce! You're drunk. Come on and get down from here." I ordered

She yanked her arm away from me. She smiled and started dancing close to me. The crowd got even louder.

"Take it off Steph." someone yelled

"Let's see what you got." came another voice.

"Joyce!" I grabbed her arm again "It's time to go."

"Screw you." Joyce told me.

"You need to get your clothes on." I explained.

"You need to mind your own business." she slurred

I rolled my eyes and tried to grab her around the waist. She pushed me away and I nearly fell on my ass. I leaned back and my hand went out to catch myself. I popped back up and the catcalls started coming. They thought I had done some matrix type dance move. I was getting frustrated. I hated this girl. She tortured me for years. But it wasn't right. It wasn't right to let her make a fool of herself and possibly get hurt or taken advantage of when she was drunk.

"Joyce please." I pleaded

"You are so jealous I am getting all of the attention for once. For once the guys are looking at me and not you." she slurred her words and bobbed her head around.

"You're crazy! You get plenty of attention. Now come on and let's get down from here." I grabbed her arm again.

She ripped it away from me and almost fell off the table. I grabbed for her and she grabbed for me. We both went down and I ended up on top of her with a ripped shirt. I pulled myself up to my feet and her along with me. The whole front of my shirt was ripped open and my blue bra was showing for all to see. The whistles, yells and catcalls were louder. I turned to steady myself and with my back to Joyce, she grabbed my shirt and ripped it the rest of the way off.

"Yeah Steph!" some guy shouted

"Damnnn" growled another

"Hot stuff." called yet another voice.

"Nice bra." it sounded like Morelli's voice but maybe it was Anthony.

My hands flew up to cover my bra as a deep blush spread throughout my cheeks. Carlos held out his hand and I bent down to grab it as he pulled me down into his arms. He pulled off his shirt and helped me slide it over my head. He climbed up onto the table and the girls went wild. The screams were deafening and I swear I saw two girls faint. A shirtless Carlos grabbed Joyce around the waist and moved her over to where I stood and slid her down to me. He jumped down and we worked together to pull her away from the table.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" JoAnn moved in front of me

"Helping your friend." I glared at her. "She's drunk and she's making a fool of herself."

"She's having a good time. You should leave her alone." she slurred.

"She was taking off her clothes in a room full of guys who have been drinking." I tried to explain

"You're jealous of her boobs." JoAnn laughed as she walked away.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" I shook my head and brought Joyce into one of the bedrooms.

"Stay here." I told Carlos

I went to find Colleen so I could get some clothes for Joyce. I was planning to call her an Uber and get her butt home. I didn't even care if she got in trouble with her parents for being drunk. Her friends were jerks too. What happened to the buddy system and looking out for each other? I was still shaking my head as I walked back to the room where I had left Carlos and Joyce. I stopped short when I heard Joyce's voice talking to Carlos.

"I knew you wanted me." she slurred

"Just lay there." he ordered

"Oh come on. I'm so much better than that dead fish you keep hanging around. She's a weirdo. She has never even been on a date. I used to think she was a slut because there had to be a reason you were always hanging around with her. Then I realized you were just being her friend because you felt sorry for her." she told him.

She sounded like she was waking up more. Perhaps she was starting to feel a second wind. I rolled my eyes but couldn't make my feet move. I wanted to hear what he would say. I heard a noise behind me and turned to find Morelli walking down the hall. He opened his mouth to speak but I stopped him by holding my finger up to my lips.

"She's not even pretty. She doesn't even have any tits. Look at me. I have tits." her voice was low and sexy now. "Maybe you should check them out."

Joe raised an eyebrow as he looked at me.

"Just shut up and lie back." Carlos ordered

When Morelli heard Carlos' voice his eyes opened wide.

"Mmm" Joyce purred "I like a man who's in control."

We both heard the bed bounce and then a big thump. I moved to the doorway and looked down to see Joyce on the floor and Carlos standing above her with his hands on his hips. He was still shirtless. He looked up at me and then turned his face to look at Morelli.

"Wow. You are some piece of work." Morelli shook his head at Carlos. "I'd rather get one kiss from Steph than have sex with Joyce."

Carlos narrowed his eyes at Morelli. Joyce rolled over onto her stomach and crawled towards Carlos. She grabbed onto his leg and tried to pull herself up. He stepped back and looked down at her with disgust on his face. I went over and pulled her to her feet. I worked to get the t-shirt and sweatpants on her while she berated me the entire time.

"I hate you Stephanie Plum. You are such a bitch. You think you're so much better than the rest of us. Your new daddy is the Chief of Police and pulls you out of school so you can go to the fancy Catholic school. You parade around your hot boyfriend just to tease the rest of us. You think you're all that. I have better tits than you." Joyce went on and on.

What is this obsession with boobs? I finally moved away from her and called my father. I explained the situation and he promised to have a patrol car waiting at her house for when the Uber dropped her off. He wanted to make sure she got inside and that her parents were aware of her condition. I used my phone to book an Uber ride for Joyce next. Once all of that was settled I looked up to the guys still in the room with me.

"Joe, I appreciate you looking out for me but Carlos was babysitting Joyce because I asked him to." I explained

"I just want to make sure..." he looked down

"I appreciate it. You're a good friend." I smiled at him

Carlos raised an eyebrow when I turned around to look at him.

"Thank you." I smiled

We both watched Morelli slink out of the room.

"Why did you wait so long at the door Babe?" he waited for my answer.

"Well." I bit into my lower lip. "It's just..."

"What is it?" he asked as he moved closer to me.

"You're sixteen almost seventeen. You're hot. Most guys your age have already had sex with a bunch of girls. Men have needs right?" I was nervous.

"Women don't have needs?" he challenged as he grabbed me around the waist.

"Well, yeah they do but...well I'm not exactly meeting your needs." I sighed

"All I need is you Babe." he smiled before he pulled me into a hug.

"I don't have boobs." I mumbled

He pulled me back and chuckled. "Your boobs are just right."

"I'm still in here." Joyce whined

"Come on." I told her as I moved to pull her up from the bed.

"I'll be right there Babe." Carlos told me as he kissed my head.

I pulled Joyce to her feet and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. I started walking her out of the room. Colleen noticed me and moved in front of me to clear a path. I got Joyce out the front door and dropped her into a chair. I sat down on the top step of the porch and waited for the Uber. Soon Carlos came out the door wearing another t-shirt and carrying our bags and my dress with his tux together on a hanger.

"What's up?" I asked

"Someone else was using the room." he told me

"Yuk." I rolled my eyes.

We sat together on the porch until the car showed up. We walked her to it and got her belted in the back. We checked to make sure the driver had the right address and let him know there would be a squad care waiting there for her. As the car pulled away another pulled up. Carlos jogged up to the porch and grabbed our bags. He slid them into the back seat and pushed me in next to them.

"Where are we going?" I asked him

"You'll see." he winked

In five minutes the driver pulled into the Sunrise Motel. Carlos got out and pulled me out with him. He leaned back in to grab our bags and thanked the driver. I didn't say anything as we went into the lobby and Carlos got us a room. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the lobby and I followed him. He opened the door and went into the room. I followed him but stopped just inside as the door closed behind me. He set down our bags and hung up our clothes. He turned and saw my hesitation. He moved to me and grabbed my hand.

"I know it's not fancy but tripadvisor gave it a four star rating." he told me

"It's not the room." I explained

"Still nervous?" he asked me

"Yes." I confessed

"We won't do anything you don't want to do." he assured me

"I know." I smiled

He pulled me into him and kissed me gently before he pulled away. He pulled out his IPhone and played some music as he set it down on the nightstand. He went to his bag and pulled out a lighter and some candles. I sat down on the bed and watched him. He lit each candle and set it somewhere around the room. He pulled out a bottle of sparkling cider and two plastic champagne glasses. I giggled as he gave me a glass and opened the bottle before he filled mine and then his. He sat down beside me and held his glass up for a toast.

"To the most amazing prom date. I hope you had a great time tonight Babe." he spoke before tapping our glasses.

We both took a drink before I responded.

"It was perfect." I smiled at him.

We both finished our glasses. He stood to take mine and set them both down on the table before rejoining me on the bed. He shifted his body sideways to face me. He opened his mouth to speak but I jumped to my feet.

"I'll be right back." I told him as I ran for the bathroom.

I took care of my business and washed my hands. I stared at myself in the mirror and smiled. This was nice. It was sweet that he had planned ahead. It was nice that he thought of every little thing. Condoms! Did he think of condoms? Well, I guess we would have to discuss it if it went there. Oh my God! How was I going to discuss it? How was I going to ask him? Well, I would just have to find a way. If I was mature enough to want this than I had to be mature enough to discuss this with him. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

He was standing by the bedside table. I looked to see a box of condoms on the table. Our eyes met and I smiled. He waved me over and my feet moved before my brain willed them to. I stood in front of him and he looked me up and down. He reached out to cup my face. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the familiar touch. When he didn't move I opened my eyes to look at him

"So beautiful." his words were soft and deep.

I let my cheek relax into his hand.

"I love you eyes. So blue." he told me

"Yours are milk chocolate." I smiled

"Every eye in the room was on you at the dance tonight. I was struggling between pride that you chose me and jealousy that all of the guys wished they were me." he admitted

"You are the one all of the girls were checking out." I sighed contently

"At the party when you jumped up on the table. I was so angry hearing them whistle and call out to you. When she ripped your shirt off? I wanted to..."He paused. "I wanted to remove the eyes of every guy in that room."

I rolled my eyes. "I am sure they were more focused on Joyce's boobs." I laughed

"No Babe. You are the whole package." his voice grew deeper.

I didn't know what to say. I stood there still as he moved his hand up to cup the other side of my face. He kept my head still as he stared into my eyes.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked me

I nodded and he leaned in to me. His lips were soft and gentle against mine. He kissed me slowly and I felt my lips part giving him permission to deepen the kiss. I reached up and grabbed both sides of his face as his slid to my hair. I felt heat flow through my body as our tongues swirled around each other. His hands slid down to my back and one moved further onto my waist as he pulled me against him. Suddenly he stopped and pulled back. He looked at me in question and I nodded my head. He released me and walked to the light switch and clicked it off.

****************SMUT************

He slowly strode back to me and sat on the bed. He pulled me in between his legs and I bent down to place a kiss on his lips as I stood there. I pulled back and his arms went around my waist. He pulled up the back of my shirt and moved it slowly up my chest. When he got closer to my neck I held my hands up in the air and he pulled it over my head. He tossed it behind him and his hands were back on my waist. He leaned in to kiss my stomach. I giggled and he smiled. He kissed up to the bottom of my bra.

"Pretty"" he whispered

His hands moved up to my shoulders and he pulled each strap down until they rested on my shoulders. I reached behind me and unclasped the bra. I let it fall to the floor and watched his expression. His eyes grew dark as he slid his hands up. He cupped each breast and slowly massaged them. I let out a gasp and dipped my head back as I felt my nipples pebble under his touch. He leaned back in and kissed my stomach again as he moved his mouth up. He laid open mouth kisses on one breast and then licked around my nipple. He slowly took into his mouth and sucked gently.I stretched my neck back further and moaned as I leaned my body closer to him. He moved to the other breast and gave that one the same treatment. He pulled his mouth away and his hands were back on me. He gently massaged them as his thumbs stroked each nipple.

I reached down and gripped the bottom of his t-shirt. I pulled it up and he raised his arms when I brought it over his head. His hands moved to my sides and stroked up and down before he settled on my hips. He kissed my stomach as he pulled down the zipper on my skirt. His lips stayed on my stomach as he slowly slid my skirt down. I stepped out of it and stood in front of him only in my matching blue panties. His eyes focused on my panties.

"Pretty." his voice was hoarse as he tried cleared his throat.

He settled his hands on the waist band of my panties and looked up into my eyes. He waited. He tilted his head in question and I bit down on my lower lip before nodding. With my approval he slowly removed my panties. I shivered as I stood there naked before him. I gulped and resisted the urge to cover myself up. All I had to do was look into his eyes to see how much he appreciated the sight before him. He pulled me to him and twisted me around until I was laying on the bed. He moved his body in between my legs and found my lips again. Our kiss was hot and more demanding than the gentle one we began with. He pulled away and moved his lips to my neck. His kissed up to my jaw and planted kisses all over my face. He reached my ear and licked it before he took my earlobe into his mouth and gently pulled it in between his lips. When he released it I felt his hot breath near my ear.

"You have to help me. I want this to be good. If you like something I'm doing let me know. If I'm not in the right spot let me know." he told me.

He kissed me just below my ear and moved back down to my neck before settling on my breasts again. He nipped and sucked each nipple before he moved down to my stomach. He kept moving lower and then I felt his breath as he hovered over my core. He turned onto his side and moved his hand to stroke one of my thighs. His free hand slowly slid down though my hair and in between my folds. He stilled when his finger touched in between my lips.

"Dios." he breathed out. "You are so wet."

I felt my cheeks rise with color.

"It feels good Babe. I can feel how much you want me" he told me

I moaned out when his finger began to stroke me. He stopped and his hands moved to spread me open before him. He placed slow kisses on my warmth and my hands went out to grip the blankets. I grasped them tight and twisted my fists as I pulled at the blankets and sheets. His tongue moved to my nub. He circled me and then pulled me into his mouth and gently sucked me as I moaned again. He pulled back and moved his tongue up and down before he slid it inside of me.

I was moaning and gasping for air. His mouth moved back to my nub as I felt his finger slowly slide inside of me. I arched up against his mouth as I felt a tingle spread through out me. He moved his tongue again and licked me up and down. When his tongue reached my swollen numb again I reached down and buried my hands into his hair.

"Right there" I whispered through ragged breaths.

I felt his lips smile against me as he pulled me into his mouth He licked and sucked as his finger slid in and out of me. I moaned out as I felt the fire burning down where he had his mouth. Suddenly I felt a deep heat in my body and it drove me crazy as it demanded release. I moaned out and it drove him to move faster.

"Yes" I moaned out

He moved his finger faster and flicked his tongue against me. The fire and the tingles met all at once and I felt myself shake. The pleasure washed over me and I cried out.

"Carlos"

My breath caught and I couldn't control the pleasure that flew through my body. My nub throbbed as he kept his tongue moving against it. I was becoming very sensitive to his touch. I twisted my hips to pull away from him and he looked up at me. He smiled when he saw my face.

He jumped to his feet and tugged off his jeans. He opened the box of condoms and grabbed one before he rejoined me on the bed. We lay side by side staring at each other. I placed a hand on his chest and moved it down. I reached his hard member and gripped it in my hand. I moved my hand up and down and he moaned. I continued to stroke him before I slid my body down. I placed kisses on his neck and kept moving lower. He moaned as he felt my lips move to his chest.

He rolled onto his back and I looked down to see his hard shaft for the first time. He was much bigger than I had seen on the internet. Long and thick and hard standing at attention for me. I kissed the top of it and Carlos groaned. I kissed up and down it before touching my tongue to him. I followed the path of my kisses and continued to lick and kiss him before settling back on top. I pulled my mouth away and I thought I heard him moan at the feeling of loss.

"Don't stop." he pleaded "It feels so good."

I kissed the tip again and wrapped my warm mouth around him. He let out a deep growl and I moved my mouth up and down his hard shaft. I had watched some porn on the internet before and read an article in Cosmo on how to please your man. I darted my tongue out and pressed it hard against him as my mouth moved up and down. I gripped the base and squeezed him.

"Babe" he growled

His hands went to my hair and I stilled. I was worried for a second that he would push my head down. Instead he massaged my head. I moved faster and listened to his fast breaths. I could feel his body tighten. I made the decision to keep going even thought I knew what was about to happen. I moved my hand that rested on his base and stroked in time with my mouth. I wasn't able to take the whole thing into my mouth. His hips jerked up as I felt the warm fluid shoot into my mouth. I kept sucking until there was nothing left. I listened to him growl and moan and I glanced up at his face. He had a huge smile and he was trying to control his breathing. He moved his hands under my arms and pulled me up to kiss me.

"That was amazing." he whispered

He stoked his hand up and down my back as our bodies pressed against each other. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled my head to him. He crashed his lips into mine. His mouth was hungry for mine. I was overcome by the heat of our mouths together with our tongues twisting and turning. I felt myself get wet again and he was hard pressed against me. He gripped my hair in his hand and gently pulled my mouth from his.

"You have to keep talking to me. I don't just want this to be our first time. I want to make you feel good." he stared into my eyes

"You're already doing it." I told him

He leaned away from me and I heard the tear of the wrapper. He moved his hands down and slid the condom over his hard member. He moved to his side and guided me to my back. He perched himself above me and I could feel him against my center. He leaned down and kissed me softly.

"I don't want to hurt you." he told me

"Go slow." I told him as he nodded.

He moved a hand down and guided himself to my opening. I felt the tip press against me. He studied my face as he moved forward. He slid in slowly and I moaned out in pleasure. Then I felt the pain and I winced. He froze and stayed where he was. I looked up at him and he nodded. He moved slowly forward again. I leaned my head back. He felt so good inside of me. He slid in deeper and the pain was slowly surpassed by the pleasure. He saw the change in my eyes and slid in deeper until his pelvis was flush with mine. He stilled and watched me as my body adjusted to his size.

He began to slowly slide in and out of me. One of his hands reached up and grabbed mine. He laced his fingers in mine and squeezed. His other hand moved to my hip. He held me in place as he moved in and out.

"Yes." I moaned

"Babe" his breathing was ragged

"Oh my God." I groaned out.

He moved a little faster. He kept his eyes on mine. He was watching to see what caused me pleasure. He moved faster and I twisted my head to the side. He reached up and turned my head back to face him He dropped a kiss on my lips and pulled back again. When he picked up the pace I bit down into my lip.

"Don't stop." I begged

"Yes. Right there." I directed him.

He moved faster and I felt the tingle move through me. I reached my hand up and cupped his face. Our eyes were fixed on each other.

"Stephanie." he breathed out.

He kept the strong pace that made us both moan out deeper. The fire began to rise from my toes to my core. He let go of my hand and slid his fingers to my neck and then slowly slid them down my body until he reached my swollen nub. He pressed against it and my hips jerked up.

"Oh my God Babe." he moaned.

He closed his eyes for a second before focusing back on me. I drove my hips up again and felt his finger press against me. I felt so full as he moved inside of me. I was losing control. His finger started to rub against me and the fire met the tingle.

"Yes right there." I arched up against him

"Yes. Don't stop please Carlos. Don't stop." I begged

"You feel so good Babe. So warm. So tight." his breath was coming fast.

I felt myself explode. My body trembled and I felt my muscles grip tightly against him. My core was squeezing against him. He was moaning and his mouth hung open as he pushed deep into me quickly. I felt his back arch and he was suddenly stiffer inside of me. He attacked my lips as he pushed his tongue deep into my mouth. His moans vibrated against my lips. His thrusts slowed as he lowered himself on top of me. He was half on his side keeping his full weight from me. I pulled my head up hungry for the kiss. Our mouths were pressed against each other and our tongues moved together. I couldn't breath so I finally pulled back. I turned my head to the side and he pressed his cheek into mine.

"That was incredible." he whispered

"Amazing." I agreed.

**********************END SMUT**********

He moved to his side and pulled me tight against him. His arms were wrapped around me tight. His breath was on my ear.

"Thank you. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for the greatest gift a woman can give a man." his words melted me.

I wiggled closer to him.

"Thank you for being so gentle. Thank you for making it special." I told him

I felt his chest relax and closed my eyes. I felt a smile creep across my face before I fell asleep.

********************************THANK YOU********************

I am so happy many of you liked the last chapter and didn't mind the length. I hope I didn't screw up the flashback areas in this one. I have never done flash backs before but the way this story progresses they are needed. I labeled them so no one would be confused. I know this is a long one but it had to be. I hope you feel I handled her first time respectfully.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9- Eighteen years old

I had left the Tasty Pastry far behind me and procured a new job at the Princeton University book store. I was nearing the end of my first year at Princeton, but Carlos had not attended nearby Rutgers as he planned. He was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Miami with the ROTC program. He couldn't pass up the opportunity and I wouldn't deny him the chance to attend college on a full scholarship even if it meant us being apart. It had been hard on our relationship and we both felt the strain. We are both very jealous and possessive and trusting each other didn't always come easy. Most of my friends were attending Rutgers or Rider and I found myself alone at Princeton. I was making new friends but much to Carlos' dissatisfaction they were all guys. I made one new girlfriend named Colleen.

I was sitting on the couch in my living room staring at the TV. I was lost in thought when I realized the TV turned off. I glanced around and found my father standing with the remote control in his hands and staring at me.

"We need to talk." He told me

"Uh oh. It wasn't my fault." I was nervously trying to think of anything I might have done.

He chucked. "Of course it wasn't."

"So then?" I was curious.

He walked over and stood next to the window. He leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath.

"I think I'm going to run for mayor." he admitted

"That's great!" I jumped up

I went to hug him but he held both hands up to stop me. I froze in my tracks. Hugs and showing affection didn't always come easy for me so he always encouraged me when I made some effort. I didn't come from an affectionate household but I was learning to accept his hugs. I leaned back on my heels and looked up into his eyes.

"You need to know that politics can get dirty. They will bring up the affair I had with Helen. They will bring you up. It may not be good for you. I don't want to hurt you." his eyes were filled with concern.

I waved him off with my hand and rolled my eyes. He raised and eyebrow and I laughed.

"I don't care anymore about the gossips in the Burg. I am barely ever here anyway." I explained

"But still, it won't be easy. I have spoken about this to my campaign manager in great length." he sighed

I was confused. "Do you want me to stay away?"

"No. Not at all. You are my daughter and I am proud of you. I have been preparing my standard answer." he told me

"Which is?" I tilted my head.

"I am human and made a terrible choice to betray my marriage vows. I quickly ended the affair and confessed to my wife and family." he began

"You will admit to all of that?" I was surprised

"Yes I need to take responsibility. I want them to know that by the grace of God my amazing wife forgave me. When we found out you were born both Monica and I suspected you were mine but Helen Plum informed us that we were wrong and that your father was her husband Frank. You and I were both denied the chance to be a family. Once we discovered the truth we were able to reconnect." he recited

"Is that okay? Does that hurt you?" he asked

"Of course not. It's the truth." I shrugged

"And well...I need to ask you..." he turned towards the window.

"What?" I prodded

"How do you want me to explain how you came to live with me?" he asked

I thought for a few minutes. There was already the instance in the bakery. The Burg knew most of the specifics. He wasn't going to be running for Mayor of the Burg. There was no such office. He would be running for the mayor of Trenton. I knew this was a big deal for him.

"Okay. Why not be honest without too many details. I was being raised in an unhappy and unhealthy household. You wanted to get to know me better and give me a better life." I offered

He turned to face me and his face lit up. He held out his arms and I moved into his hug. He squeezed me and kissed the top of my head.

"Do you feel like you have a better life?" he pulled me away to see my face.

"Of course I do! I have a family that loves and appreciates me. I have a great big brother who has never been jealous of me." I smiled

"That you do." he agreed

"Just one more thing that would make it perfect." I teased

"What's that?" he crinkled up his forehead.

"You need to ask Mrs. Costanza on a date." I pulled away and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Anna?" His eyes went wide.

"Yes. It's been two years now since Carl's dad passed. If anything you can start as friends. I see the way you both look at each other." I stated

"You think I have a chance?" he asked

"Of course." I nodded and smiled.

The next day he announced his candidacy for Mayor. A week later my father took Anna Costanza out to dinner at Rosini's restaurant. They have become inseparable ever since. we had a barbecue for the fourth of July and Anna came with Carl. Carl brought his new girlfriend Allison who he had met at Rider University. Carl was majoring in Criminal Justice and was considering becoming a cop. I loved to watch my father and Anna together. They were always smiling and laughing. I worried about when I was in school and he was alone. From talks I had with Sal our father wasn't happy being alone. He had learned how to live with it but company always made him happier.

"Steph I forgot to tell you who I saw the other day." Carl told me

"Who?" I asked as I bit into my second hot dog.

"Joe Morelli." he told me

I nearly spit out my hot dog. I hadn't seen Morelli since I graduated High School. He was home on leave from the Navy and had stopped by our graduation ceremony to see his brother. He asked me if he could take me out to celebrate but I declined. That same night he and Anthony got into a drunk driving accident. They didn't hurt anyone but took out a fire hydrant. Anthony took the blame, the fine and the ticket. Rumor had it Joe was driving but let his brother take the fall so he could stay in the Navy.

"Didn't know he was back in town." I rolled my eyes

"Well, he didn't forget you." Carl looked nervous.

"What? What did he do?" I asked

"I really didn't want to be the one to tell you. I didn't want you to find out from someone else and I don't care if it's true..." he hesitated

"What's true?" Sal asked

"Well, apparently he has been spreading around a rumor." Carl took a breath "Even writing about it on bathroom walls."

"Which bathroom walls? Where?" I asked

"Pino's, Tasty Pastry, Italian People's Bakery, Mastori's Diner, the stadium and IHOP." he glanced into the sky as he counted off places. "That's it I think."

"What the hell?" I was confused

"What did he write?" Sal asked

"Well..." Carl hesitated when he saw Sal's temper starting to rise. "It's not word for word."

"Spit it out." I demanded

"Stephanie Plum sitting pretty as my sweet little number fifty. I call her Cupcake because she's soft and sweet and good to eat. Don't miss your chance to get in her pants. Such a greedy little pig she wants it all and she loves them big." Carl hesitantly repeated.

"I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch." Sal jumped to his feet.

I jumped up and placed my hands on his chest. "Wait."

Allison sat there with her mouth wide open. I was still trying to collect my thoughts. I could feel Sal's heart pounding through his chest.

"No Steph. Screw him. I always wanted a little sister and now I have her. There is no way in hell I am going to let this punk spread rumors about you." he seethed

"They are just rumors right?" Allison asked

We all whipped our heads towards her. I glared and she bowed her head and looked down.

"Everyone knew Morelli was chasing Steph for years. He had bets going all over the place. She was the only one he couldn't get." Carl shrugged "I guess now people will think you finally caved because Carlos is in Miami."

"NO!" I shook my head "It wouldn't even matter if I didn't know Carlos at all. I was never going to help Morelli finish his list. I was never ever going to be number fifty."

"He needs a good ass beating." Sal said through clenched teeth

"Who needs a beating?" My father asked as he brought over more food from the grill.

"Morelli" I told him

"Which one?" Anna asked

"Joe." Carl answered his mother.

"What did he do now?" Anna narrowed her eyes.

"He wrote a bunch of lies about Steph in multiple bathrooms and he's spreading rumors." Sal glared at no one in particular.

"Are they bad?" My father asked Carl

He gulped "Yeah, real bad."

"That boy definitely needs to be taught a lesson." Juniak shook his head.

"That's why I am going to beat his ass." Sal was still angry

"Not when your father has just announced that he is running for mayor." Anna told him

Sal sighed "Yeah, I know but..."

"I will go talk to him." I told them

"No." my father told me.

"I'll be smart." I assured him

"I want to go with you." Sal told me

"Okay but you will stay in the car." I relented

"Unless he puts his hands on you." Sal agreed

"Fine, but let's enjoy our barbecue first." My father suggested

So we did just that. We enjoyed our barbecue. Carl took Allison to the park to watch fireworks and the rest of us stayed in the backyard to watch the show. Anna asked Sal and I what we planned on doing after College. Sal was about to finish his first year of medical school. He had finally focused on a career in medicine and planned to get into the Cancer research field. I told her I wanted to be a criminologist and a profiler. Carl had announced to her this morning that he was dropping out to join the police academy. She wasn't thrilled but she supported him. She was a good mother.

The next morning I woke up determined to confront Joe Morelli. I couldn't resist dressing to impress. I put on a lilac skirt that was covered in pretty pastel flowers. I topped it off with a lilac silky tank top and a pair of white FMPs. I knew I didn't want to go alone. I debated whether I should bring Sal or my father. I even considered calling Carlos to come home early. Carlos. I had to tell Carlos before he found out from someone else. I knew he would believe me. He knows he is the only man I have been with. He also knows how Morelli chased me. I knew there was a small chance he might not believe me but I pushed that out of my head.

I finally decided to go with Sal. We sat and talked about our father running for Mayor and the importance of not hurting his chances by killing Morelli. Sal asked around and found out Morelli got some type of discharge from the Navy and had just signed up for the police academy. We knew he liked to hang out at Pino's so that would be our first stop. I didn't want to confront him in front of a bunch of people but we wanted to keep it public. Sal didn't trust Morelli and we both knew the family reputation.

We walked into Pino's and my eyes immediately met with Morellis. He was sitting in a booth with his brother and they had a pitcher of beer on the table. I sent Sal to the counter to wait nearby and I went to the booth.

"Anthony, can I please talk to Joe alone?" I asked his brother

"Sure thing Cupcake. Just don't go at it right here on the table. We're still waiting for our pizza." Anthony slid out of the booth.

"I'll try to control myself." I rolled my eyes at him

I slid into his spot and sat there. Joe had no expression on his face. It was blank and he showed no emotion. I waited to see if he would start the conversation but he had nothing to say. I glanced over to the counter and saw Sal had his eyes on me. He gave me a slight nod and I took a deep breath.

"Why?" I asked Morelli

"Why what?" he asked

"Come on. Don't play with me. Why are you trying to ruin my reputation?" I asked

"If anything it helps your reputation." he smirked

"You're out of your mind. You know I have a boyfriend. You know my dad is the Chief of Police. Why would you do this to me?" I was fighting the anger and tears

"I knew it would make you come to me." he shrugged "I have wanted you since the first day I saw you. We belong together. For years everyone has thought we were together."

"But we're not and we never were. We are never going to be." I shook my head

"Never say never." he winked

"Are you going to get rid of what you wrote about me? Are you going to come clean that we never did it?" I asked

He thought for a second and then smiled.

"Nope" he said popping the 'p'

"Really?" I asked incredulously

"Why so mad Cupcake? Is it because you wish it would have happened or you were worried you couldn't live up to the hype?"

"You are scum Joe Morelli. Absolute scum." I glared at him as I slid out of the booth.

He jumped to his feet and grabbed my arm.

"Don't go away mad." he pleaded

"Let go" I ordered

He squeezed tighter. "Come out back and talk to me, it's too crowded in here."

"Let go." I repeated

He tugged my arm and pulled me in close. He whispered in my ear. "You will love every second of it. No one else can compare to the Italian Stallion."

I used my free hand to slap him across the face as hard as I could. His head whipped to the side but a smirk appeared on his face. I could see Sal out of the corner of my eye coming towards us. Morelli squeezed my arm hard and kept me close to him. He leaned in and whispered to me.

"I like it when you fight back." he growled when I finally yanked my arm away from his tight grip.

He barely got the words out of his mouth before Sal pushed him away from me. Morelli took a step back and held up both hands like he was giving up. Anthony was by our side in a second and Mr. Pino stepped out from behind the counter. He looked at Joe and Anthony and rolled his eyes. He looked at me with apologetic eyes. My arm was throbbing so I looked down to check it out and noticed it was red and a bruise was already forming.

"We're leaving." I told him before he could talk

"You can stay." he assured me

"No thank you." I grabbed Sal's hand and pulled him along.

He was muttering under his breath the whole time.

"Why couldn't I get an ugly sister? Why couldn't I get a baby sister? Why not an adult sister?"

"Hey!" I yanked on his hand

"Just listing the great things about having you as a sister." he teased and we both laughed

I had parked the car right in front of Pino's and we both got in. I slid into the driver's seat and turned on the ignition.

"Seriously, I'm sorry this is happening to you." Sal told me "It's not your fault."

I let out a deep breath. "Morelli has been a pain in my ass since I was two years old. I know I shouldn't let it get to me but it does. It's going to be hard enough for Dad to face the talk about me and his affair. Now this?" I leaned back into my seat.

"You have more people on your side than you think." he patted my shoulder

"Why did you accept me so quickly? I've always wondered." I turned to look at him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "My mother and father told me about the affair. We went to counseling together. I forgave him when my mother did. She saw your mother in the supermarket and finally got a good look at you. She thought you were beautiful. You were running all over the place playing some kind of game like you were on a mission. Hiding behind displays and having fun. Until your mother stopped you and spanked you right there in the store. I knew my mother wished you were a part of dad. She saw how your mother treated you. She wanted to help you, she already liked you without really knowing you. She was an amazing woman. I wish you could have met her."

I reached across the seat and grabbed his hand. "Me too."

Sal squeezed my hand and turned my arm back and forth. He saw the red mark and looked up at me.

"He did that?" his jaw clenched.

"I'm fine." I assured him

"Damn it!" Sal suddenly snapped

"What?"I asked

"Freaking Morelli." he growled

I looked up to see Anthony and Joe coming out the door. They stayed on the sidewalk and Anthony lit up a cigarette. Two other guys came up and they all stood around talking. I clutched the wheel and watched my knuckles turn white. I felt a tear slide down my face. I was angry and I wanted to go right over there and punch Morelli in his stupid smug face. Sal watched me but didn't say anything. I suspected he was trying to control his temper too. Our father was more important than kicking Morelli's ass.

I blinked away the tears as I watched Joe Morelli laughing and talking to his friends. I imagined he was talking about me. Telling more lies and trying to ruin my reputation even more. I started the car and put it in reverse. I stopped for a second and shifted into drive. Before I knew it I was slamming on the gas. The car jumped the curb and I slammed on the breaks right after I hit Morelli. Sal and I jumped out of the car at the same time.

"Oh my God. I am so sorry. I thought the car was in reverse. I am so sorry." I lied

"You bitch. You did that on purpose." Morelli screamed at me as he laid on the sidewalk holding his leg.

"No, it was an accident. I am so sorry." I gave him a quick wink and then slammed on my sad and surprised face.

"If you ever put a mark on her again I will..." Sal began

A black and white pulled up to the curb and I let the waterworks flow. I didn't know who the cop was. He was tall with red hair and blue eyes. I didn't think he was from the Burg. I had never seen him around before. He looked concerned when he saw me crying. He came over to us and asked what happened.

"What's going on here?"

"Oh my God." I sobbed "I thought I had the car in reverse."

"You need me to call an ambulance?" he asked Morelli

"What do you think?" Joe glared at him. "I want her arrested. She broke my fucking leg."

Sal wrapped an arm around me and pulled me into him. From the look on his face he was trying to control himself. He looked like he wanted to laugh. I pretended to be upset and buried my face into his chest. The officer asked the other people standing on the sidewalk and they simply told him my car humped to the curb and after I tapped Morelli I jumped out to check on him.

After some questioning the officer let me go and Sal and I drove home. We laughed the entire way and I nearly had to pull over from my tears of laughter. When we made it to the house we saw our father's car at the curb and knew he would be waiting to talk to us. I told him about the conversation and my last minute loss of control with the car. He wasn't pleased but he understood. He had talked to Officer O'Malley, the one at the scene, and was happy it was being ruled an accident. I was happy I felt like I got some revenge on that scumbag Morelli.

I called Carlos and explained what happened. He reacted like Sal. His first thoughts being to kick Morelli's ass. I told him about Morelli's leg and he was impressed with my quick thinking. He had made plans to come to Trenton for a couple of weeks in August before we would both be returning back to our classes. He told me he had decided not to join the Army. We had discussed it a few times and I tried to encourage him to do what he wanted, but I couldn't hide my concern or my feelings of worry with the possibility of him ending up far away from me.

It was August and Carlos would be arriving tomorrow. I was excited to see him, but I couldn't stop the feeling of dread. I couldn't get over the feeling that he was staying in College to please me. He was not joining the Army to please me. I loved him but I hadn't told him. We were not the best in announcing our feelings. We didn't ever even discuss our relationship status. We both just kind of understood we were exclusive.

I was sitting on the couch in the living room with my legs curled up beneath me. I was alone in the house. Sal was away for a week. He had rented a house with some friends in Seaside to party before school was back in session. I had been doing a lot of thinking lately and had made some major decisions about my life. I heard a throat clearing and looked up to see my father standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. I looked up at him unsure of what to say.

"What's going on Steph?" he asked

I sighed and watched him move over to sit in his recliner. He turned to face me and waited silently for me to speak. I knew he could easily out wait me. I knew he had handled a lot of interrogations and it was never easy to try to hide something from him.

"Carlos is coming home tomorrow." I informed him

"That's great. He's coming for a few weeks between semester breaks?" he asked

"Yes. He took a summer course. So he'll be here for two weeks before he heads back to Miami." I explained

"Isn't that a good thing?" he asked me

"Yes and no." I shrugged

"I think you're going to have to spell it out for me." he sat back and studied my face.

I blew out a breath filled with aggravation. "I don't know what to do."

"About?" he pressed

"About me and Carlos." I laid my head back into the couch

"You don't like him anymore?" My father sounded confused.

"Dad!" I grumbled

"Well?" he waited

"I think he wants to join the Army." I admitted

"That's great. It's an honor to serve our country. You know I did a short stint in the Army myself." he reminded me

"Yes dad." I moaned in aggravation

"I don't understand the problem. You're still going to have to spell it out for me." he released his own sigh

"I think he's not enlisting because of me." I suggested

"Why in the world would you think that?" he sounded shocked

I rubbed both of my hands over my face. "The couple of times he brought it up I whined about how much I would miss him."

"That's normal conversation. You tell him you miss him now but he stays in Miami right?" he asked me

"Yes." I admitted

"And he tells you that he misses you?" he was leading me now

"Of course." I rolled my eyes

"And you don't move to Miami or beg him to come here." he finished his thought

"I know. But the Army is different. He could get hurt or killed or..." I worried

"Or he could have a great time. He could learn new skills. He would have insurance. He would..."

"DAD!" I needed his attention.

He looked at me and we met each other's eyes.

"I know how good it would be for him. I told him that the last time we talked. I told him if he wanted to do it he should go for it." my father stared at me waiting for me to continue. "He said he didn't want me to have to worry about him. He didn't want to be so far away if he got sent over seas."

"So? What did you say to that?" he was curious

"At the time not much. But now...I can see it from the outside. Well...I am so selfish!" I nearly yelled

He moved from the recliner to the couch and sat down beside me before he patted my leg.

"You are so human." he corrected me

"So now...well...I have a plan...I think." I stumbled through my words.

"This doesn't sound good." he waited

"I'm going to break up with him." I announced

"Why in the hell would you do that?" he couldn't hide his surprise

"So it will be easier for him to enlist. Easier for him to go and focus on his job. Not worry so much about what's going on back here. It will make his life better." I was reassuring myself by saying my plans out loud.

"And you? What will it do to you?" he asked as he rubbed my back

"You already know that answer." I told him

"Be miserable?" he asked

I sighed "Yes I would be completely miserable without him."

"I can't make your decisions for you and I would hate to see you miserable. I know I have only had you in my life for a short time, but I would like to believe you have been happy since moving in here." he shrugged

"Yes!" I exclaimed "The happiest I have ever been. You have no idea how miserable my life was. I only had Carlos and Abuela and then nothing. Now you and Sal and Grandma Juniak."

"So, you're sure you need to do this?" he asked

"Love is sacrificing for someone else right?" I sniffled as I fought the tears in my eyes.

"You love him?" My father slung his arm around my shoulders.

"I think...I know...yes. Yes I do." I admitted

"And what if you let him go and you never get back together? What if he finds someone else? Have you thought about that?" he asked me

I nodded "Then it wasn't meant to be."

"And you are ready to accept he may date other people?" he raised an eyebrow

I threw my head back against the couch as a tear streaked down my face. "That's torture."

"You can date around. You've only ever dated Carlos." he reminded me

"I don't want anybody else." I sniffled

"Then you shouldn't do this." he wiped the tear from my face.

"I have to do this. I have no choice." I sniffled

"Don't be cruel. Don't use someone else to piss him off." My father warned "Don't break it off that way."

"What?" I was confused

"Just don't take the coward way out and do something to force him to make the decision." he cautioned

"So you think it's a good idea?" I asked

"HELL NO!" his voice rose

"But then why?" it was my turn to be confused

"You're going to do it anyway. All I can offer you is to do it so you won't burn any bridges. Don't do anything you can't take back." he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.

"And I'll be here to help you as you spend the next year moping and complaining about how much you miss him." he offered

"Thanks for the support." my voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Are you going to do it as soon as you see him?" he asked

"That's my major problem. I want to see him and be happy and spend time together but maybe that will make it worse for me. On the other hand if I do it right away he will be around for two weeks and then what? Will he try to talk me out of it? Will he start dating someone else? Will he just leave? All of those things scare the hell out of me." I confessed

He pulled me into a hug and planted a kiss on my forehead. He released me and got to his feet. I looked up at him and he just stood there shaking his head.

"I am so proud and impressed by your strength to let go of the man you love so he can do what he wants to do. At the same time I am so confused that you think this is the only way." he took a deep breath and blew it out.

"It's your life Steph. I love you no matter what." he smiled at me

"Thank you." I jumped to my feet and kissed his cheek.

I woke up early and headed to Abuela's house. I couldn't wait to see Carlos even if I was dreading it at the same time. I pulled up to the curb and was barely out of my car when I was scooped up into two big strong arms. Carlos swung me around and spread tiny kisses all over my face. He set me down and then crashed his lips down for a mind melting kiss. When we came up for air I staggered back feeling a little weak in the knees.

"Hey! Stop attacking that girl in the middle of the street!" Abuela yelled from the porch

Carlos chuckled and swung his arm around my shoulders. I closed the car door and allowed him to steer me into the house. I found myself leaning against him and I closed my eyes for a brief second as I felt the comfort of his familiar body. Abuela pulled me into a hug and kissed me on the cheek. I followed her into the kitchen where she had various flavored muffins in a basket on the table. I grabbed a chocolate chip one and thanked her. As soon as I finished Carlos grabbed my hand and pulled me into the back yard. We moved to the side of the house and he pressed me against the brick and proceeded to kiss me senseless. When we came up for air he buried his face in my hair and we stayed cheek to cheek.

"I feel like we're hiding in an alley." I laughed

"I have no problem taking you out front and making love to you on the hood of your car." he teased

"Carlos!" I playfully slapped his shoulder

He pulled back to look at me and cupped my face in one hand. He stared at me for a second and then spoke quietly.

"So beautiful."

I grabbed his wrist and brushed my thumb against his skin.

"You are the beautiful one."

"Damn, I missed your eyes." he moved his hand into my hair. "I missed your curls."

I felt myself melt into him as he leaned forward and pressed against me.

"I missed your body." I whispered

"Oh did you?" he smiled

"Damn it. I didn't mean to say that out loud." I bit into my lower lip.

"Too late now." he gave me a wolf's grin.

He reached behind me and cupped my ass in both hands and ground his body against me. I heard myself moan out before he covered my sounds with his kiss. It was deep and hot and was quickly sending heat waves through my whole body. His hands moved up and stroked my back as my hands gripped his shirt and pulled him so close against me you couldn't slide a paper in between us. His hands slid around to the front of my body and he pulled back a little. he moved them up my shirt and they were hot against my stomach. He moved them all the way up and gently palmed my breasts in his hands. We heard a car pass by on the street. He quickly pulled his hands out of my shirt and took a few steps back.

"I'm so sorry Babe." he told me

I jumped at him and he fell into the house on the other side. I pressed myself into him and covered his mouth with mine. My hands were all over his body and we were both breathing heavy. Finally I came to my senses and pulled away slightly. He leaned down and rested his forehead against mine. We were both taking deep breaths as we tried to regain some control.

"We need to talk." I told him

"Not yet. I don't want to talk."

He cupped my face with both hands and kissed me quick before he pulled us both back into the yard.

"Let's go to the beach." he suggested

I rolled my eyes "Everyone is going to be at Seaside this weekend."

"So then we don't go to Seaside. We can go to Point Pleasant." he suggested

"Okay." I nodded

"Go home and pack a bag. Come back and get me at one o'clock." he told me

"Bossy." I teased

"I need time with my woman." he pounded his fists against his chest

I laughed "Okay caveman."

"Seriously. Come with me to the beach for the weekend. I really want to spend time alone with you." he spoke in a more gentle tone.

"I'd love to." I gave him a quick peck on the lips. "See you at one o'clock."

I checked in with my dad and packed up a bag. I had some lunch and then went to pick-up Carlos. He told me he wanted to go to Seaside tonight to meet up with his friend Lester at a club. He assured me we would only stay a short time and then go back to our room in Point Pleasant. I wanted to have our talk before we went. I wanted to have the talk as soon as we got to the hotel room. I didn't want to just drop the bomb on him at the end of the weekend. I needed him to know he was free. I needed him to be okay with leaving me so he could join the Army.

As soon as we got into the room. He attacked me. We were on the bed making out when I stopped him. I pulled myself up and sat down in one of the chairs at the small table near the window. He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow.

"What's wrong Babe? You jumped out of the bed like it was on fire." he asked

"We have to talk first. I need to tell you something." I explained

"That doesn't sound good." he sat up

"I've been thinking. You are in Miami all year and I am in Princeton. We're going to be apart for at least three more years. I know you've talked about wanting to join the Army." I began

He cut me off. "Babe, we decided I'm not going to do it."

"We didn't decide anything like that." I corrected him. "This isn't a we decision. It's your decision."

He got up and sat down on the bed so he was across from me. He pulled my chair closer to him and took my hands in his.

"I don't want to be far away from you. I don't want you to worry about me." he explained

I pulled my hands away and sat back. "I think we should see other people."

He straightened up. He looked like I had slapped him. He was silent and tilted his head slightly to study my face. I guess he was trying to figure out if I was joking. I did my best to keep my face blank and not show any emotions.

"Why?" he asked

"You need to be free to do your thing and I need to do mine. I care about you but we are going to have opportunities presented to us. We can't base our decisions on our relationship. I don't want us to grow to hate each other or have regrets because we missed out on these opportunities." I tried to tell him how I was thinking.

"Is this about Morelli?" he asked

"NO!" I jumped to my feet. "How can you even ask that? He is scum. I can't stand him. He tried to ruin my reputation. He left a bruise on my arm for a week from the last time I saw him."

"A bruise?" he jumped to his feet.

"Shit. I didn't mean to..." I trailed off

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked

"I didn't want you to get pissed off. I took care of it." I assured him

"I'm still pissed he put his hands on you." Carlos shook his head.

I couldn't resist. I reached out to him and pulled him into a hug. I turned my head and rested it against his chest.

"We need to put some space in between us." I told him

"You're not doing a good job of that right now." he smoothed my hair and wrapped his other hand around my waist.

"You think I don't care about you? You think I don't want you?" I spoke against his chest and fought against my teary eyes.

"Then why are you doing this?" he asked

I closed my eyes but a tear still escaped. He knew or he felt it or something. He pulled me back and held my forearms as he looked into my eyes.

"You don't look like you want to do this." he remarked

"I don't. It drives me crazy to think of you with someone else. It's not healthy. Neither of us have never even kissed anyone else." I started and then I stopped suddenly "Right?"

"Right." he smiled and kissed my forehead.

"I refuse to tie you down. I honestly care about you and there is no one else...right now." I told him

"Right now? So there will be?" his smile faded quickly

"I don't plan on it, but will leave it open. We will both be free to do whatever we want." I pulled away

"And what about us? You are telling me this now? Am I just supposed to be your friend all weekend?" he asked

"No. I just didn't want to spring this on you at the end of the weekend. I didn't want to keep this from you and try to pretend." I sniffled

"Pretend? You pretend with me?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Never" I whispered

"I don't want to imagine you with anyone else." he confessed

"It kills me to just think about it." I admitted

"Then why?" he was confused

"We have to. We need to be able to make decisions about the future without having to base them on our relationship." I took a step away from him.

He took a step towards me and I stepped away again. His eyes were dark and focused on me. He looked me up and down and I felt a shiver run through me. I took another step back and I was against the wall. He pounced on me. He pressed a hand on either side of my head and pressed his body against me. Carlos brought his lips to my neck and took my skin between his teeth, he licked the same spot before he kissed me.

"I don't want anyone elses lips on your neck." he told me

He moved his lips to my mouth and I lost all thoughts. His lips were warm and his tongue was hot as he pushed it into my mouth. His hands held my face while he took my mouth with his.

"I don't want anyone else to kiss you." his lips brushed mine as they spoke.

******************************SMUT***********************

He moved his hands and stroked them up and down the sides of my body. He pushed them underneath my shirt and moved them to my breasts. I leaned my head back and arched my back. He slipped his hands around and unclasped my bra. He pulled off my shirt and bra and caressed my taught nipples.

"I don't want anyone else to put their hands on you." his voice was horse.

He dipped his head and circled my nipples with his tongue before pulling each one into his mouth. He used his teeth and bit down gently on each one as I moaned out.

"These are mine." he said as he licked me.

He moved his hands down to the waist line of my jeans and quickly unfastened them and pushed them down as he pulled off my sneakers. He slowly moved his fingers up each thigh before stopping at my core. He slowly slid his finger in my wet folds.

"This is mine." he growled and I pressed into his hand.

He released me suddenly and stepped away. He stripped off all of his clothes never breaking eye contract with me. I licked my lips and looked him up and down. He came back to me in only one step. He kissed me roughly and his fingers were back on me. He growled when he felt how wet I was for him. He grabbed my hips and dug his fingers in causing me to hiss out. He lifted me up and I unconsciously wrapped my legs around his waist. He positioned himself at my entrance and before I could even think about another thing he slammed me down hard onto his thick shaft. I gasped. He slammed into me again and I felt my lower back bump against the wall.

"Wait!" I breathed out "Wait!"

He stilled and pulled his face away from my neck. He looked at me, waiting for me to speak.

"Condom" I reminded him.

He let out a deep sigh. "Shit"

He let my feet slide back to the floor. I whimpered at the loss of him. He mumbled as he moved over to his bag and pulled one out. He tore the wrapped and slid it over his still rock hard erection. He stalked back to me and grabbed my hips. He hoisted me into the air and tossed me on the bed. He was on top of me and I was covered by his body in an instant. He took both of my hands into one of his and pressed them above my head. His other hand guided him inside of me and I screamed out his name.

He grabbed one leg and wrapped it around his hip as he slammed into me. I wasn't used to his ferocity but it was driving me crazy. I was on fire and felt ready to explode. I was struggling to get my hands free. I wanted to touch him and feel him but he gripped them together tightly. He grunted each time he pumped into me burying himself so deep. I was panting and moaning. I opened my eyes and looked up at him. He was staring at me intently.

"Babe" he growled

"Carlos." I breathed out "Oh my God"

"All for you. Only for you. I only want you." he was breathless but he kept talking

"You belong with me. You belong to me. I won't share you." his words matching his strokes

"Fuck." I moaned out

"Cum for me Babe." he ordered

I did exactly as he commanded. I dug my nails into his back and he slowed down and slammed into me deeper than before with strong powerful thrusts.

"Stephanie" he groaned a whisper into my ear

He collapsed on top of me and I wrapped my arms tight around him.

***********************END SMUT**********************

Once we both regained our breath he rolled onto his side. He pulled me along with him and I laid on his chest as he rolled onto his back. His arm was wrapped around me and he stroked my back. His hand came down under my chin and he tipped my head up so I was looking at him.

"I am so sorry Babe. I am sorry if I hurt you. I don't know what came over me. There's no excuse." his eyes were sad and he looked nervous

I reached up and cupped his face.

"Don't apologize. It was intense. Different from any time before. A little rougher than I would have imagined but I enjoyed it. As a matter of fact I wouldn't mind repeating it." I admitted with a smile.

A smile slowly spread across his face and he pulled me up to kiss my lips. I moved my head back down to his chest and wrapped my arm around his waist. I loved him. I was in love with him. I never wanted to leave him. What the hell was I thinking? I sighed. I want him to be happy. I want him to have no regrets. I want him to live his life without me holding him back. That's what I had been thinking. I love him enough to let him go.

I forced myself to get up and told him I needed a shower. When I got out he jumped in. I put on some light make-up and managed to tame my curls with some gel. I knew the sea air would probably frizz them out but at least they would look good for now. I slid into a short blue dress that fastened around my neck and had a loose skirt that twirled around me when I spun around. It had a built in bra and no back. The material felt like silk as I ran my hands down the waist to smooth it out. I came out of the bathroom and Carlos looked up at me.

His mouth dropped open and I smiled to myself. I was happy he obviously appreciated what he saw. I picked up my shoes and moved over to where he stood. I grabbed onto his shoulder to steady myself and put on my silver FMP's. As soon as both shoes were on my feet he pulled me tight against him and kissed my lip gloss off of my already swollen lips.

"So beautiful." he whispered as he cupped the side of my face.

"You look hot." I told him

I pulled away to look him up and down. He was wearing blue jeans and a short sleeve black shirt. The shirt had a couple of buttons open and you could see the hint of his toned and well muscled chest. I handed him the keys and let him drive the twenty minutes from Point Pleasant to Seaside. We headed to Club Karma. It was always eighteen to party and twenty-one to drink. The bouncers checked our ID's and gave us red wristbands. This told the bartender we weren't aloud to order alcoholic drinks. The club was crowded. It was winding down to the end of the summer and a Friday night. It was still early so we could walk around but in a couple of hours this place would be insane.

Carlos grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd. He found his friend sitting in a half circle booth beside the dance floor. His friend jumped up and they did some kind of complicated hand shake and a quick half hug. The guy was the same height as Carlos. He had black hair and green eyes. He was obviously Hispanic but more of a mix than Carlos.

"Lester this is Stephanie." he presented me.

Lester's eyes quickly focused on me and both eyebrows raised as a smile spread across his face. I held out my hand and he used it to pull me into him. He gave me a hug and then a kiss on the cheek as I pulled back.

"Hi. I'm Mr. Right. Someone said you were looking for me." he smirked

I laughed. "Nice to meet you Lester. Just call me Steph."

"Hello beautiful." he winked

"Steph" I corrected him.

"Do I know you?" he asked

"I don't ..." I began to answer him

"Because you look like my next girlfriend." he smiled and wiggled his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes but I couldn't help but smile. He was charming. I could definitely tell he was a ladies man. But he had a lot more class than Morelli.

"Santos." Carlos shook his head in disapproval.

"What? Your friend is hot." he told him

"She's my..." Carlos began

I cut him off. "One of his best friends."

Carlos cut me a look and raised an eyebrow. He nodded his head as he turned away and focused back on Lester.

"Any hot chicks tonight?" Carlos asked him

My mouth dropped open and I immediately closed it back up. Okay, this wasn't exactly going as I had planned.

"None that beat the one you brought in." Lester smiled

He turned and motioned for us to slide into his booth. I slid in first and he quickly moved in beside me. Carlos moved to the other side and slid in so that I was in the middle. Lester reached under the table and grabbed my hand. I jumped in surprise.

"It's okay Babe." Carlos told me.

Lester played with my wrist and then released my hand. When I pulled it out from under the table my wristband had been replaced with a green one. He did the same to Carlos. A waitress walked by and Lester ordered a round of jello shots and a rum and coke for himself. Carlos ordered a rum and coke and I asked for a plain coke. We clinked together our shot glasses and I let the jello slide down my throat. I made a face at the taste of the alcohol. I had a couple of drinks before but had never gotten drunk. I knew that shot already put me at my limit.

We were each glancing around the room and bopping our heads to the music. When I looked back at Lester he was staring at my chest. I didn't have boobs like Joyce but the push up bra in this dress did amplify what I did have. I bent down and caught his eyes and shot him a glare.

"I'm not staring at your boobs. I'm staring at your heart." Lester explained

I rolled my eyes but laughed again. His pick-up lines were cheesy but cute at the same time. He was definitely a fun guy to be around. He excused himself and promised to be right back. Carlos reached under the table and patted my thigh. Feeling his hand on my skin spread a heat through my body. I looked at him and our eyes held.

"Friends?" he asked

"Yes, we discussed this." I nodded

"If that's what you want." he said as he removed his hand. "Question."

"Yes?" I asked

"Where are you going at the end of the night?" he asked

I paused before answering. "Back to the room with you."

"So we are friends but we leave together?" he wanted to know

"Yeah. Why? Do you want me to go somewhere else?" I was nervous now.

"No. I just wanted to understand the rules. Friends while we are here as long as we leave with each other?" he clarified

"Yes." I was kicking myself as soon as I said that.

Now what? Was he going to hook up with some girl? Here? Tonight? Ugh! What have I done? I took a drink before I could say any more. Lester slid back into the booth. He stared at me for a minute and then shook his head.

"What's wrong?" I asked him

"You're so beautiful I forgot my next pick-up line." he chuckled

"Santos, she's my friend. She's not available for your harem." Carlos told him

"Don't hate the player Carlos." he looked at his friend "Hate the game."

"Hey beautiful you may be asked to leave soon." Lester warned me

"Why? What's wrong?" I was confused.

"Because you're making all of the other women look bad." he wiggled his eyebrows

"Sorry about my friend Babe." Carlos rolled his eyes but smiled.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Lester asked

"Just hanging out." Carlos shrugged.

"When you headed back to Miami?" Lester asked him

"I'm here for a couple of weeks." Carlos told him.

"And you live in Jersey?" Lester asked me

"Yes." I answered him.

"Shit. Do you have a pencil?" he asked me

"Uhm..." I only had my wallet with me no purse.

"Because I want to erase your past and write our future." he gave me his full on smile and I laughed.

"Give it a rest." Carlos shook his head.

The waitress came by again and Lester ordered two more rum and cokes. I shot my eyes to Carlos and he smiled.

"You're driving right?" he asked me

"Right." I agreed as I let out a sigh.

I looked out onto the dance floor and spotted Sal dancing with a girl.

"Let me out." I told Lester as he slid out of the booth.

I walked over to Sal and tapped him on the shoulder. He smiled and pulled me into a hug and swung me around.

"Kim, this is my little sister." he explained to his friend.

"Nice to meet you." she looked relieved.

"Stephanie." I told her as we shook hands.

"What are you doing here?" he asked me

"Just hanging out. I'm with Carlos and he wanted to meet up with one of his friends." I explained

I glanced back at the booth as saw Carlos sitting alone.

"Nice bracelet." he held the green bracelet between his thumb and index finger.

"I only had a shot. I am driving." I assured him

"Just be careful. Call my cell if you have a problem." he ordered

"Will do." I kissed his cheek

When I turned to head back to the booth I froze for a second. Lester had returned and now there were two girls sitting at the table. One was blonde with big boobs and the other had dark hair and dark eyes. She also had big boobs. Both were attractive. The blonde was staring at Lester like she was already in love and the brunette was making conversation with Carlos. I took a deep breath and headed to the table. I slid in next to Carlos and smiled at the table.

"Baby, I might not be Sriracha sauce but I sure will spice up your life." Lester said to the girl who was giggling.

He realized I was back at the table and threw a smile at me. "Hey beautiful, while you were hitting on the guys I found us a couple of dates. Alicia, Rachel, this is Steph."

"Nice to meet you." I lied to the girls.

"That was my brother Les." I corrected him as he nodded.

"Do you go to school around here?" Rachel asked Carlos.

"No. I live in Miami. I got to the University of Miami." he explained

"Wow. That is so cool." she smiled at him. "I can't believe we are hanging out right now."

"Yep." Carlos nodded

"You don't talk much but that's okay. We don't need to talk." she looked at him seductively.

Oh my God. I can't keep sitting here. What the hell am I going to do? I never expected to have to see him with someone right in front of me. The waitress came by and Lester ordered a round of jello shots. I considered taking the shot but decided to be responsible and just get another coke. Rachel and Carlos clinked their shot vials together and then drank it down. I turned my back to them and stared out onto the dance floor.

Don't cry. Don't cry. You wanted this. If you didn't do the whole friends thing this wouldn't be happening. I was trying to talk myself into accepting this but I was seething with jealousy. What if they started making out? What if he decided to leave with her? I knew I would go back to the room to pack my stuff up and then go home. I would lock myself up in my room and just cry for days.

"Hey Beautiful, do you go to school around here?" Lester asked me, trying to include me in the conversation.

I nodded "I go to Princeton."

"Beautiful and smart!" he smiled "When God made you he was just showing off."

I turned my attention back to the table and Alicia was glaring at Lester.

"What about you Les?" I asked him

"Rutgers." he answered

"Nice." I nodded

Lester jumped out of the booth and grabbed my hand.

"Let's dance Beautiful." he told me rather than asked me.

I glanced back at Carlos and he made no expression. I followed Lester onto the dance floor and danced with him. It was a fast song and we both did our own thing. Occasionally he would reach for my waist and grind against me. I glanced back at the table a few times and Carlos had his back to us. He was talking to Rachel. Alicia was glaring at us. I stared at the back of Carlos' head, willing him to turn around. Alicia got up and left the table.

"I think you're date is getting away." I warned Lester

"Meh" he waved his hand. "She had a killer body but no brain. Even for a one night stand I would prefer her to be able to recite her ABC's." he explained

"Rachel is sticking around." I told him

He shrugged "Maybe Carlos finally found someone. He never talks to any women when we go out. He dismisses them before I can even tell them his name."

"Wanna dance?" some guy came up behind me

"She's taken." Lester told him.

The guy held up both hands. "My bad"

I looked back at the booth. Oh great. Now I had good feelings that he was never interested in anyone when he had me, bad feelings because he is still talking to this girl. Now what? Do I flirt with Lester? No. My father warned me not to play with Carlos like that. But then what was he doing? Was he playing with me or was he into her? Lester grabbed my hand and tugged me back to the table. He slid into the booth and pulled me in next to him. Carlos looked over when we returned and gave me half a smile. Rachel placed her hand on his arm and rubbed it.

"Want to buy me a drink?" she asked him.

Before he could answer the waitress came by and Lester ordered rum and cokes for the table and I ordered a water.

"You're a cheap date." Lester told me

I glanced at Carlos and he raised one eyebrow. I saw Rachel move again as she squeezed in closer to Carlos and their shoulders touched. I bit down on my lip as I tried to control my emotions.

"That's sexy as hell Beautiful." Lester told me.

Carlos whipped his head to look at me and I faked a smile.

"Aren't you going to find Alicia?" Rachel asked him

"Nah she was boring." Lester told her.

"Hey! She's my friend." Rachel glared at him

"Oh. Your friend that you left alone in a bar full of drunk guys." he returned her glare.

"Well..." Rachel stammered

I realized at that point Lester wasn't all charm and humor. He could be serious when he wanted to. He wasn't impressed that Rachel was so interested in Carlos that she had basically abandoned her friend. He wasn't impressed that Alicia had left Rachel with two guys they had just met. I had to agree with him. The buddy system is important for girls, especially in a crowded club. The waitress came back with the drinks and I watched Carlos chug half of his down. I had never seen him drunk and I was worried that he may lose some control.

"How do you and Stephanie know each other? You've never brought her around before." Lester was speaking to Carlos.

"She lives near my Abuela." Carlos told him

"Oh! You're the girl." Lester smiled

"What do you mean?" I was curious.

"Last time I had dinner with Carlos' family she was going on and on about you. You're the girl that helps with her gardening and runs her errands. Smart, beautiful and sweet. Nice combination." he slung his arm around my shoulders.

The waitress came by offering more jello shots and Lester ordered three.

"You trying to get drunk?" I asked him.

"Not a chance Beautiful. I'm already intoxicated by you." Les told me

I smiled and laughed at him as I watched the three of them clink their shots together before they drank up again. I shot a worried look at Carlos. His eyes dared me to say something but I kept my mouth closed. I glanced at Rachel and realized her eyes were glazed over. She was obviously drunk or heavily buzzed and on her way to drunk. She swung both arms around Carlos' neck and rubbed her face against his shoulder.

"You are so fucking hot." she told him

"Oh! That's a terrible line." Lester told her as he turned to me. "Carlos bet me I couldn't talk to the hottest woman in here. Want to get a drink with his money?"

I laughed and Carlos rolled his eyes. Rachel watched us for a moment and then gave out a half hearted laugh. I wanted to rip her hands from around his neck. I wanted to remove her head so she would stop leaning on his shoulder. He made no moves to reciprocate but no moves to push her away either. I saw someone out of the corner of my eye so I turned to look. Joe Morreli in a fucking leg cast coming right towards us.

"Hey Cupcake, I'd ask you to dance but you can see that's kind of impossible right now." he smirked at me.

"Fuck off." I told him as I glanced his way.

He was standing keeping one crutch under his arm his other arm free.

"I just came over to say hi to Carlos. I hadn't seen him in a while and didn't recognize him with his new girlfriend draped all over him like that." Morelli teased and Carlos shot him a glare.

"Go away Morelli." I leaned away from him and it put me closer to Lester.

"I think you at least owe me a drink Cupcake." the smile faded from his face.

"I don't owe you anything. You better hope my brother doesn't see you." I threatened

"Why is that?" he rolled his eyes

"He didn't appreciate the bruise you left on my arm." I glared at him.

"What?" Carlos growled

"I told you I like it rough." Morelli sneered

He was obviously drunk. I needed him to go away before this got serious. Carlos slid out of the booth and got to his feet.

"You put a bruise on her?" Carlos was in Morelli's face.

I had mentioned it to Carlos earlier but we never discussed it. I don't know if it was him or the alcohol but he was suddenly very pissed off.

"She loved it." he laughed

Carlos took a step towards Morelli and I jumped up to get in between them. I placed both hands on Carlos' chest and turned my back to Morelli.

"He's not worth it." I tried to calm Carlos down.

"You think it's fun to man handle women?" Lester said

I turned to see Lester had gotten up too.

"Who the hell are you? I guess her thugs are interchangeable." Morelli asked him. "You know what? It doesn't even matter who you are. She'll come looking for the Italian Stallion when she's done slumming it."

Lester laughed "The Italian Stallion?"

I moved in front of Morelli.

"You need to go. You're not going to ruin our night." Over Morelli's shoulder I could see Sal walking up

"Didn't I tell you to stay the fuck away from my sister?" Sal spun Morelli around to face him.

"Okay. Okay. No need to get all hostile." Morelli held up one hand.

"Walk away." I ordered Morelli

"Before someone breaks your other leg." Carlos warned him

"Pussies." Morelli mumbled as he hobbled away.

Sal pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head.

"You okay?" he asked

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'm with my friends. Have fun. I'll be fine." I assured him

"I don't want her leaving alone." Sal told Carlos.

"Not going to happen." he assured my brother.

"Okay. I'm heading over to the Bamboo Bar to meet up with some friends. Call my cell if you need me." Sal looked at me with concern.

"Uber?" I asked him knowing he shouldn't drive.

"Yeah." he smiled

"Have fun." I told him as I kissed him on his cheek.

I watched him walk away and then turned to face Carlos and Lester.

"I am so sorry for ruining your night." I apologized

"You didn't ruin anything." Lester told me.

"I'll be back." I took a step away.

Carlos grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going?" he asked

"To the bathroom." I informed him

"You're coming right back?" he asked

"Yes." I nodded

"And if Morelli stops you?" he questioned me

"He's on a crutch." I rolled my eyes.

"Just promise you are coming right back here. Don't stop and talk to him or anyone else." he paused "Please"

I nodded and he let go of my arm. I headed to the bathroom as I felt a tear slide down my face. I needed to get my crap together. I made a mistake and how do I tell him now? Hey Rachel please get your hands off of my boyfriend. And by the way Carlos will you please be my boyfriend again? I screwed up. I can still be with him and encourage him to go into the Army. I can still support him and his choices We've been apart for more than a year before and still stayed committed even when we weren't technically anything but friends.

Oh God what if he's kissing her right now? How am I ever going to touch his lips again if I see him kissing her? How would he like to see me kissing someone else? I washed my hands and cleaned my face carefully so I didn't mess up my make-up. No matter what I would not try to make him jealous. I was not going to hook up with Lester or anyone else. I needed to act like an adult. I didn't want to disappoint my father and I didn't want to hurt Carlos. No matter how much I was hurting.

When I got back to the table Carlos was moved away from Rachel and she was slumped back against the seat. She looked like she was definitely drunk now. Lester was gone. I slid back into my seat across from Carlos.

"Lester went to look for her friend." he informed me

I nodded.

"Are you okay?" he asked me

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm sorry. I didn't intend to ruin your night." I explained

"Stop apologizing you didn't..." he started

I held up my hand. "Look, I'll have one of the bouncers walk me out. You can Uber back to the room. I'll get my stuff and head back home. You can have the room to yourself."

"You said we were going to leave together Babe. You said you were going back to the room with me." he held my eyes

"What the hell?" Rachel slurred

Carlos ignored her and I nodded to him. I would keep my promises to him.

"Let's go out to my car." Rachel told Carlos

"No." he answered

"The bathroom?" she smiled

"No." he repeated

"But I thought...well...we've been talking to each other all night." she whined

"You've been talking. I listened." he told her

"So that's it? I told you I was a virgin. That doesn't turn you on? You don't want to be my first?" she teased him as she slid closer.

"No." then he turned to her. "Don't you think it should mean something?"

"It means I gave it up to the hottest guy in the club." she wiggled closer to him and set her hand on his shoulder.

"Found her." Lester was back at the table with Alicia.

"You need to get your friend out of here." Carlos told her as he slid out of the booth.

"Hey!" Rachel protested

"Let's go you freaking light weight." Alicia glared at her friend as she held out her hand.

"But...I...I'm leaving with him." she got to her feet and wrapped her arms around Carlos' neck.

She ground her body against him and I turned away.

"Not interested." I heard him tell her.

"She's sloppy drunk. You need to get her out of here." Lester told Alicia

I turned back to watch what was happening.

"Take her out to the car for a few minutes of fun and then I'll take her back to the room." Alicia pleaded with Carlos. "She wants you to get rid of her V card and I got a hottie waiting for me on the dance floor."

"What the fuck?" Lester gave a disgusted look

"Take your friend out of here." Carlos ordered

"Now." Lester commanded

"Geez. You are the weirdest guys I have ever met. She was looking to give it..." Alicia started

"Yeah we know." Lester snarled "Just get her out of here. Try to be a good friend and not encourage her."

"Whatever." Alicia rolled her eyes

She pulled Rachel away from Carlos and yanked at her friend's hand.

"Carlos..." Rachel reached back for him but he ignored her.

"Let's go!" Alicia ordered as she tugged her friend behind her.

Lester moved close to me and I slid into the booth to make room for him. Carlos slid back into his seat and once again I was in the middle.

"What the hell was that?" Lester asked Carlos

"A train wreck." Carlos answered his friend.

"What kind of girl gets wasted and then announces she's a virgin? She's lucky it was us and not some guy like the one with the broken leg." Lester shook his head.

"She really is lucky. You are both good guys." I told them

Lester turned to me. "So who's the Italian Stallion Beautiful?"

"Just some idiot who lives near me." I shrugged

"The stallion is pissed off because he wanted Steph on his Virgin list and she refused." Carlos explained

"Virgin list?" Lester asked

"He had a list going of all the virgins at school that he had sex with. I was supposed to be number fifty." I explained

"That's some sick shit. I'm a player but I'm not trying to take advantage of anyone." Lester shook his head and finished his drink.

"I already told Carlos but Les, I'm sorry for ruining the night." I looked at Lester.

"You didn't ruin anything beautiful." He assured me

"Thanks. And thank you both for standing up for me." I nodded to Lester and then to Carlos.

"Of course. We're gentleman." Lester winked at me.

The waitress came by again but Lester waved her off.

"Now I am going to go find an experienced woman who is looking to have a fun weekend." he smiled at us both. "Why don't you get your woman out of here?"

"I'm not..." I tried to correct him.

"Oh yes you are. Carlos' Abluela already has you two married off. I don't know what game you two were playing tonight but I think it's over." Lester told us.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault. I'm just trying to..." I had to stop talking so I could control my emotions.

"Yeah yeah. Trying to free him up so he wouldn't feel tied down. Good intentions Beautiful but anyone can see you only have eyes for each other." Lester smiled

"You knew?" I asked him

"Yeah, I just love fucking with Carlos and you are Beautiful so it wasn't a hardship." he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.

Lester moved out of the booth and I followed him. Carlos grabbed my hand and used his other to fist bump his friend.

"Catch you later." Lester told Carlos.

"Have fun." Carlos smiled at him. "Be safe."

"I always am." Lester winked

Carlos led the way as we moved to the exit. We got outside and made it to the car. He grabbed me and pushed me against the car. He pressed his forehead into mine.

"Babe"

The tears fell down my face.

"I'm so sorry." I sniffled

"I didn't mean to hurt you." he told me

"Did you like her?" I asked

He chuckled "Are you crazy? It took everything I had not to push her away from me. I wanted you to see what it would be like to be just friends and see other people. I didn't plan it though. I should have stopped it."

"But she was pretty." I pouted

"I never noticed." he cupped my face in his hand. "Are you done now?"

"What do you mean?" I asked

"Done with this friend bullshit." he stared into my eyes

"Yes" I told him

"Good. Because I don't want to do that again."

I nodded "That was torture."

"Why?" he asked

"I wanted to rip her arms off of you. I wanted to sit next to you and pull you to me. I wanted to drag you onto the dance floor to be with me." I admitted

"It wasn't fun for me either Babe. It was so hard not to touch you. I wanted to kill Lester. I wanted to kill that guy on the dance floor and most of all I wanted to kill Morelli." he confessed

"I'm glad you didn't." I kissed him

"Why didn't you tell me about the bruise?" he asked

"I didn't want to upset you. I did tell you earlier but then we were talking about other things. Besides I broke his leg." I gave him a smile.

"Proud of you Babe." he flashed me that five hundred watt smile.

"Can you forgive me?" I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Only if you promise me one thing." he kissed me

"Anything." I told him

"Come to my boot camp graduation." he leaned into me

"I wouldn't miss it for anything." I smiled and pulled him closer

He kissed me again this time with more passion. I grabbed the back of his head and buried my hands into his silky hair. I forgot everything when I let myself be consumed by his kiss. Nothing mattered at that moment except us. I drove us back to the room and we barely made it to the bed. This time when we made love it was slow and gentle. We spent the rest of the weekend just the two of us. We went to the beach during the day and spent the night in our room. We stayed up late talking and spent lots of time kissing. I couldn't tell him that I loved him but I could show him.

***************************NOTES********************

Please remember this is a Ranger who has been a one woman guy for a long time now. He has not yet been tainted by his missions and military career.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10- Twenty years old

It had been a year since Carlos graduated boot camp. After sixteen weeks with very little communication I was looking forward to seeing him. I had driven Abuela and myself to Fort Jackson in South Carolina so we could watch his graduation. We were both so proud of him. I thought it was impossible but, Carlos looked even sexier than usual in his uniform. He had lost some weight but gained a lot of muscle. I could see the other change in him right away. He was more serious and wore a blank face more than his usual smile.

The Army had already changed him. He thought more before he spoke. He made plans rather than acting impulsively. Sometimes when I looked at him I caught him checking me out from the corner of his eye. I felt his eyes on me when I moved around a room. It made me feel a strange comfort that I couldn't really wrap my mind around. He had three days leave so he drove back with us and his parents hosted a party for him. Lester and many of his other friends had come. Lester was happy to see we weren't playing any games this time around.

****FLASHBACK***

I was at the buffet table when I felt someone behind me. I knew it wasn't Carlos and quickly turned around. The guy was the same height as me with my two inch heels on. He had black hair, brown eyes and was obviously looking me up and down. Before I could even say a word Carlos was at my side glaring at his friend.

"Hold up bro. I didn't know she was with you." the guy raised both of his hands in the air

"Now you know." Carlos spoke flatly

The guy nodded and walked away. Carlos slung his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him.

"I'm not sure if it's sexy or creepy when you go all jealous boyfriend on me." I whispered in his ear.

"Sexy?" he asked

"You're always sexy." I kissed his ear

"I'm happy to see you smiling Carlos. I would be too if I had this one waiting for me." Lester wrapped his arm around my waist pulling me away from Carlos and to his side.

"Santos." Carlos warned

"I know. I know. She's your woman. You're could share her a little you know." Lester winked at me.

Carlos grabbed my hand and pulled me to his side. "I don't share."

Lester laughed and I joined in. Carlos gave his friend a smirk.

"Oh damn I forgot to tell you two." he rolled his eyes.

"What?" I was curious.

"Remember that chick Rachel from Karma?" he asked us

"Yeah." I rolled my eyes.

"She ended up hooking up with some guy Julio I know." he shook his head. "He knocked her up."

"Wow." I was surprised

"That could have been you." Lester told Carlos

"I don't think so." Carlos shook his head.

"Come on. A few more drinks and no Steph. It could have happened." Lester joked

"But there is a Steph." I reminded him

"And she is Beautiful." Lester wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me to him as he kissed my forehead.

"Yes she is." Carlos tugged me back to his side.

"Oh you wound me." Lester grabbed at his chest.

"Go find your own." Carlos ordered

"Already have a couple in sight." Lester wiggled his eyebrows

He headed over to the dessert table where a couple of girls were chatting with each other.

*****END FLASHBACK****

Carlos was excited because he was invited to join in a new training program. The field is called Criminal Investigations/Special Agent. It's an in demand job so he got a bonus for accepting the position. He sent home twenty thousand dollars to his parents and they used it to pay off the mortgage on their house. I had just finished my third year of school and Carlos was coming home to spend two weeks on leave.

My father won the election and he was now Mayor of Trenton. His opponent was not into mud slinging so it wasn't too bad with the press for us and the affair. He is finally engaged to Anna Costanza and she would be moving in after the wedding. Sal was interning at Princeton Medical Center deciding to go into pediatrics rather than research. He was still single and was yet to have a long term girlfriend. Eddie Gazarra was married to my cousin Shirley and Carl was still dating Allison. Mary Lou had fallen in love with and married Lenny Stankovic. They were already trying to have a baby.

"Hello." I answered my cell.

"Steph, I need you. I need a wingwoman." Colleen told me

"What's up?" I asked

"I have a blind date. I am meeting him at Karma tonight. Kim was supposed to go with me but she is sick. I know you're not single but I need a buddy." she told me.

"No problem. I got your back. What time do you want me to pick you up?" I asked

"Eight o'clock. Is Carlos in town yet?" she asked

"He's supposed to be here tomorrow." I smiled

"I guess I won't see you for a couple of weeks one he gets here." she giggled.

"Shut up. I'll see you at eight." I disconnected

I glanced at the clock and saw it was already five. I called my father to let him know where I was going and he told me he was going to go out to dinner with Anna since I had made my own plans. I heated up some baked ziti Anna had made for us and then headed for the shower. I tamed my wild hair and did the light make-up thing. I threw on a casual flowered dress I had and pulled on my gold sparkly FMP's. I had become an absolute shoe whore, buying at least one new pair every month.

I picked Colleen up at eight and we drove to Seaside. She kept fidgeting and asking me if she looked good. After reassuring her many times I got her to tell me about this blind date. During the drive she told me all about Steve. She had met him on an on-line dating site and arranged to meet him in a public place. I reminded her not to take a drink from him and only from the bartender. I then proceeded to fill her head with all of the safety tips Sal and my father were always drilling into my head. I told her I would keep her in site and reminded her not to leave the club without me. I took being a buddy seriously.

It was a Friday night so the club had a good crowd. It was still early and I knew most of the crowd wouldn't be coming in until after ten. We got our red wristbands and headed in. Being at Karma brought back memories of being here with Lester and Carlos. I shivered at the thought of Rachel hanging all over him. We went up to the bar and ordered two cokes. She glanced around looking for Steve but didn't find him yet. We scanned the bar and Colleen found a few potential back ups in case Steve didn't show up.

I turned my head and saw a tall blond guy headed our way. He was over six feet tall with blue eyes and good looking. He had the body of a swimmer and a friendly smile on his face. He smiled brighter as he approached Colleen. She turned to face him and he extended his hand.

"Colleen?" he asked

"Yes. You must be..." she shook his hand

"Steve." he finished her sentence.

Another guy stepped up beside him. He had brown hair and a pleasant smile. Steve introduced him as his friend Coalton. We moved to a booth and Coalton and I sat there as Colleen and Steve talked.

"So..." Coalton looked awkward. "You in school?"

"Yeah. I'm about to start my last year." I told him "How about you?"

"Nah. I'm an auto mechanic." he explained

"That's cool." I smiled.

"A lot of chicks think it's a crappy job." he shrugged "But I like it."

"That's all that counts." I finished my coke. "I think it sounds like a pretty good job."

The waitress stopped and dropped off a drink for me.

"This is from the gentleman at the bar. It's a Shirley Temple." she told me

I glanced over at the bar and saw a smiling Joe Morelli. I glared at him and he wiggled his eyebrows at me. I stopped the waitress before she could walk away.

"I don't want to drink without my friends." I told her.

"He said you would say that. What's everyone want? It's on him." she told Colleen and the guys.

I shrugged. The guys had on their green bracelets and both ordered red bull and vodka. Colleen got a Shirley Temple like me. I held up my drink and toasted to Morelli as I nodded a thank you. He raised his drink and returned my nod. If he wanted to waste his money then I would make sure my friends benefited. Coalton and I made more small talk but once he realized I wasn't single he left us to go on the prowl. Colleen and Steve were whispering to each other so I excused myself and headed to the bar. I looked for Morelli and spotted him on the dance floor with a couple of women. I went the opposite way around the floor so he wouldn't see me.

"What's a hot woman like you doing sitting alone?" the guy next to me asked

"Being a wingman for my bff." I told him

"Ahh. That means you're available." he smiled

I looked at him for the first time and realized it was Lester. "Hey!"

"Hi Beautiful. You playing games again?" he asked

"Nope. Just keeping the buddy system alive. My friend came to meet some guy she found on-line." I explained

"That's cool. Where is she?" he asked

I looked over to the booth and felt a bit dizzy. I guess I turned my head too fast. I pointed in the direction of the booth and Lester smiled.

"If it doesn't work out you can always introduce me." he wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'll do that." I smiled at him

"I'm off to the dance floor. Wanna join me?" he asked

"Not now. Feeling a little fuzzy." I told him.

"You okay?" he asked

"Yeah." I smiled

"You drinking?" he asked

"No, just a Shirley Temple." I told him.

"Okay. Tell me if you need anything." he took my hand and squeezed it before he headed to the floor.

I was starting to feel a little queezy when the bartender passed me my next drink. I smelled it and drank a small sip to make sure there was no alcohol. Maybe I was dehydrated. I had laid in the sun today and I knew I probably should have had more water to drink. I missed the glass a couple of times when I reached for it and found myself laughing for no reason. I was feeling very relaxed and comfortable after I finished my second drink. I felt someone next to me and realized Morelli slid in to the seat beside me.

"How you doing Cupcake?" he asked

"Mmm good. Thanks." I lifted my empty glass up in the air to toast him.

"My pleasure. We should dance." he told me

I was feeling confused. Didn't I hate him? He was being so nice. One dance wouldn't hurt right? I nodded and he took my hand and pulled me onto the floor. He immediately pulled me against him and ground his pelvis against mine. I pulled away from him and danced on my own. I was feeling fuzzy when he pulled me into him again so I just leaned on him. I was tired and felt like my arms were numb. He flung them around his neck and kept me close to him. I knew this wasn't right and I shouldn't be dancing with him. I was confused and felt light headed. I had never been drunk.

Maybe the bartender screwed up and put alcohol in one of my drinks and I just didn't realize. Maybe in the cherry? I giggled as I considered a cherry filled with alcohol. I wanted to tell Morelli I was done dancing but I couldn't find the words. I knew what I wanted to say but I couldn't get the message to my mouth. I pulled my heavy head from his shoulder and looked at his face. He was smiling and leaned in to plant a quick kiss on my lips. I didn't want it but I didn't pull away. Maybe I did want it. I was confused.

"Hey." Lester grabbed my arm and pulled me away.

"What are you doing?" Morelli asked him.

I was leaning against Lester and I smiled. He smelled nice. I wrapped one arm around his waist.

"Is she drunk?" Lester asked Morelli

"She's fine. Aren't you Cupcake?" he grabbed my arm and pulled me back to him.

I nodded and snuggled my head into Morelli's neck. I didn't really care who was holding me as long as I didn't have to stand on my own.

"What did you do to her?" Lester asked

"We're just having fun. You should mind your own business." Morelli told him "Ask her if she wants to go with you."

"Beautiful. Steph." Lester tried to get my attention but I was too dizzy to look at him and my arms felt dead at my sides. I left my face buried in Morelli's neck. He smelled good. I smiled thinking about the way Carlos always smelled. His cologne mixed with his own scent was intoxicating. There was nothing on the planet as good as the smell of Carlos. My body tingled just thinking about it and I leaned into Morelli.

"You see? She's ignoring you. She probably doesn't want to hurt your feelings. You can just move along now and mind your own business before this turns ugly." Morelli warned him

I wanted Lester's attention. I wanted to go with him. I tried to reach out to him but my body didn't move. In my head I was lifting my arms to him but in reality I was still leaning into Morelli. I wanted Lester to get Carlos but I knew he wouldn't be back until tomorrow. Tomorrow? What day of the week was that? I didn't even know what today was. I tried to look at Lester but he was fuzzy. I blinked to try and clear my vision but that only had me seeing two if him now. I wondered if he was even really Lester. Maybe i was imagining him. Morelli started moving us to the music again and I didn't hear Lester's voice anymore. What about Colleen? Where was she? I was supposed to have her back.

"Colleen?" I mumbled

"She's fine." Morelli told me "Lester's talking to her."

"Lester?" I asked

"The guy who wants to be your friend? I'm your friend Cupcake. You don't need him. Probably he just wants to hook up with you. He's gone now." he told me

"I don't want..." I was trying to tell him I don't want to dance but couldn't find any more words.

"I know Cupcake. I got you. Let me take care of you." he offered

I nodded against his chest.

"I promise I'm going to take good care of you. We need to get out of here." he pulled me close to him and started ushering me off of the dance floor.

I tried to tell him no but nothing came out. I wanted to be back with Colleen. I needed to be her buddy. What was the name of the guy she was meeting again? Stan? Seth? Scott? Sean? Steve! Yes, his name was Steve. I should check on her and make sure she's safe. I wanted to talk to Lester. He always had a nice friendly face. Being with him was like being close to Carlos. I should have danced with him. I didn't know why I couldn't reach for him when I wanted to.

My legs were like lead. My whole body was so heavy. I didn't want to leave the club. Morelli was being so nice though. He's a nice guy. He was helping me. He promised to take care of me. He's really hot too. He has a great ass. Every girl in high school had loved his ass. Some said he had the best ass in Trenton. If Carlos lived in Trenton I know for sure he would give Morelli a run for his money. Morelli pulled me through the door and I felt the cool breeze on my face. I smiled and held my head up. I closed my eyes when I felt dizzy. I felt numb like I was floating. My body was thrown up and I realized Morelli was carrying me bridal style. I looked up to see his truck across the parking lot. I felt a tingle on the back of my neck.

"What in the fuck do you think you're doing?" I heard a deep angry voice.

"Oh. It's nice to see you came home for a visit." Morelli laughed "You can go back to Newark now. As you can see, your girl has moved on."

"Like hell she has. You need to put her down."

I knew that voice. It was Carlos' voice. How did he get here? Was he here to dance with girls? He wasn't supposed to be home until tomorrow. I wanted to open my eyes to look at him but it was too much effort. I opened and closed my mouth to say his name but nothing came out. I realized I was in Morelli's arms and I suddenly didn't want to be there. I wanted to be with Carlos. Was it really Carlos? No. It's got to be someone else who sounds like Carlos and Morelli is protecting me. It must be someone bad. It was a trick.

"No." I moaned out

"See?" Morelli snickered "She doesn't want to go with you."

"Set her down." Carlos ordered

"Let me just get her settled in the truck." Morelli kissed my forehead

Morelli began to move forward but was stopped. I felt warm arms reach around my body and pull me from Morelli. I curled up into the warm body and pressed my lips against his neck. He didn't smell like Carlos but he was soft and warm. His chest was strong with lots of muscle. He was better built than Morelli.

"Mmm soft." I whispered and I heard a chuckle.

"What the hell did she drink?" I heard Carlos' voice.

"So angry." I giggled as I suddenly found my voice again.

"I only saw her drink two Shirley Temples." the man holding me spoke.

Lester! There you are again. I kissed his neck. Lester was holding me. He is a very good friend. What a nice guy. I kissed his neck again.

"Take it easy Beautiful." he warned me

"Look, I appreciate the whole hero thing but she chose to come with me. She wants to leave with me. She had nothing funny to drink. Like your buddy said she had a couple of Shirley Temples. We danced and then she was ready to leave." Morelli told them

"What the hell did you give her?" Carlos growled

"Just my sexy smile." Morelli laughed "And the promise of a good time."

"Let's get her out of here. Kick his ass later we need to get her out of here." Lester's chest grumbled as he spoke.

"Just wait one second. You can't just take her away." Morelli sounded angry. "She wants to be with me. Let her speak for herself."

"Steph? Beautiful? Are you okay? Did you want to leave with Morelli?" Lester asked

I wasn't sure if I did or not. I guess I wanted to before Carlos came. I wanted to leave the club. The sounds and lights were giving me a headache. I was feeling much more relaxed now. No not Morelli and not Lester even though he was soft and warm. I opened my eyes and looked into his.

"Nice eyes." I told him

Lester chuckled "Thanks beautiful."

"But not milk chocolate. Amber flecks." I closed my eyes and moaned as I heard Lester chuckle again.

"She's talking about me." Morelli announced.

No. Not Morelli's eyes. I couldn't even remember what color his eyes were right now.

"Mmm Carlos' eyes. Sexy." I needed to correct him

"Did it work?" I heard a voice holler and then "Oh shit!"

"Did what work?" Carlos asked

"Nothing. The uhm dancing. Did the dancing work to make Steph want to leave with you?" the voice asked

"Go back inside Anthony." Morelli spoke through gritted teeth.

I heard movement and opened my eyes. I turned away from Lester's neck and saw Anthony up in the air against the wall. Carlos had him by the collar. I laughed thinking Carlos was helping him fly. I heard more movement and turned my head slowly. I watched Morelli creep around to the driver's side of his truck. There were lightening bugs floating around Lester's head. I tried to reach for one but he stopped me. He grabbed my hand and held it against his chest.

"What in the hell did he do to her?" Carlos growled

"Nothing." Anthony sounded panicked

"Don't make me repeat myself." Carlos sounded scary and I heard Anthony cry out.

"He paid the bartender to..." Anthony choked "Roofie her drink."

I heard a car start and someone said "Fuck"

"He's gone." Lester announced

"You tell that piece of shit brother of yours that if he even looks at Stephanie wrong again it will be the last thing he does." Carlos spoke angrily.

"Okay okay." Anthony sounded like he was crying.

"Let's get her out of here." Lester said

I felt new arms slip underneath my body. When I was pulled into a strong chest I once again buried my head into their neck. I knew that scent anywhere. It was Carlos. I squeezed my arms around him tighter.

"Ahh Carlos" I purred

"Yeah Babe." he sighed "We need to get her to a hospital."

"NO!" I nearly screamed

"What? What's wrong?" he asked me

"No hospital." I whined.

"Get your car." he ordered Lester.

"I don't want to." I pouted "Don't make me."

"Babe"

When I woke up I had a killer headache and my stomach was killing me. My throat felt like it was on fire. It smelled clean like antiseptic. I felt someone holding my hand and someone else was talking in the distance.

"She'll be just fine. We found Rohypnol in a blood and urine sample, but no alcohol. We gave her charcoal to pump her stomach. She's going to have one hell of a hangover."

"Thank you. When can I take her home?" I heard my father's voice.

"As soon as she wakes up."

I worked hard to open my eyes. I wanted to get out of here. I wanted to be home in my own bed. When I finally managed to open them I was blinded by the bright light.

"Bright" I choked out.

He let go of my hand and I heard him move across the room.

"It's off." I heard Carlos' voice a couple of seconds later.

I opened my eyes and saw Carlos standing beside my bed.

"Water?" I croaked

Carlos leaned over and brought up a cup with a straw. He pulled me up and set the straw against my lips. I took a drink and then he pulled it away. I tried to sit up but my head was heavy.

"Easy." he cautioned

I laid back down onto the pillow.

"Dad?" I asked

"Right here Steph." My father came to the other side of my bed

"Where am I?" I asked him

"Monmouth Medical Center. It was the closest hospital. Your brother's already pissed we didn't force the ambulance to go the extra thirty minutes to Princeton." Juniak forced a smile.

He grabbed my other hand and I squeezed it. I could see the pain and worry on his face. I was trying to remember exactly what happened but I only had bits and pieces. I was starting to gather it all together and then a light bulb went off.

"I only remember parts. Is Colleen okay?" I asked

"She's fine. Carlos' friend Lester went back and picked her up from Karma. He took her home." my father explained

"Thank you." I told Carlos as I squeezed his hand.

"How do you feel?" dad asked

"Aggravated. I am trying to remember things about last night but it's fuzzy. It was last night right?" I looked back and forth between my father and Carlos.

"Yes. It's just past noon." my father explain.

Then I remembered. Joe Morelli. Fucking Joe Morelli.

"Joe Morelli Roofied me?" I asked them

My father nodded. I looked at Carlos.

"I'm sorry Babe. I was coming in early to surprise you. Your dad knew and called me when your plans changed. I had Lester go ahead to Karma so he could meet us there. I was almost too late." he looked sad.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked Carlos

"Babe" he shook his head

I turned to my father.

"Are you mad?" I asked him

"Stephanie, I am mad. I am not mad at you. You did everything right. You were trying to be a good buddy to Colleen. You only took drinks from the bartender and you didn't drink alcohol. How could I possibly be mad at you?" he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"Lester?" I asked Carlos

"In the hall." he answered

"Go get him please." I squeezed his hand.

"Where's Morelli?" I asked my dad.

"Trenton PD picked up him and his brother. Seaside Heights PD has the bartender in custody and they are reviewing the tapes from last night. There are cameras all over that place." he assured me

"Hey beautiful." Lester came over to my side.

I motioned for some water and Carlos moved around him to press the straw to my lips. I took a drink and then a deep breath.

"Thank you Lester. The night was kind of fuzzy but I remember you kept trying to help me. Thank you." I grabbed his hand from the railing and squeezed it.

"I'm just glad you're okay." he leaned down to kiss my cheek and then moved his lips to my ear. "The kisses on my neck were worth it."

He laughed as he pulled away and then let out a quick grunt when Carlos smacked him in the back of the head.

"I just can't imagine what could have happened." my dad exhaled a deep breath.

"I never thought Morelli would do something like that." my eyes were watery

"He has always wanted you Steph." Carlos reminded me

"But still." I paused "Did I do something last night to make him think it was okay? I know I danced with him."

"Beautiful" Lester shook his head "I watched you all night. You didn't dance with him until after your second drink. It wasn't your choice."

"So what does that stuff do to you? What is it called?" I was curious.

"It's called Rohypnol. It lowers your inhibitions. It makes you confused and maybe dizzy. Some people are paralyzed depending on how much they are given. They call it the date rape drug." my father explained

I closed my eyes and gulped. Carlos gave me some more water. I rubbed my temples.

"There were times I felt like I couldn't move my arms. My legs felt dead. I felt like I had no control. I didn't know if I wanted to be with him. Lester tried to help, I know that." I closed my eyes as I felt a tear slide down my face.

"It's okay Babe." Carlos rubbed my arm.

"It was you. It was your voice. Somehow it broke through my confusion." I told him

"You are pressing charges." my father told me

"I don't want to cause problems." I pouted

"Babe, he would have raped you if we weren't there. Do you understand that?" Carlos grabbed my hand and pulled it to his chest

"This is serious Steph." my father cautioned

"But..." I argued

"Dammit Steph you need to understand. If these boys didn't intervene this would be a completely different hospital visit." my father rubbed his face with both hands.

When he dropped his hands I studied his face. There was a mixture of anger and worry. He wasn't going to let me just walk away from this.I didn't want to ruin Morelli's life. I still wasn't convinced he would have gone through with it. I was grateful Carlos and Lester made sure I wouldn't have to find out.

"He needs to be stopped Stephanie." my father told me as I nodded

"Pleas understand how important this is Babe." Carlos pleaded

"How would you feel if he did this again next weekend to another woman?" Lester asked

"Oh my God! That would be awful." I felt a chill run through me.

"I told the station you would be in on Monday to make a statement and press charges." my father was firm.

I closed my eyes and a tear slid down my face. My father leaned over me and kissed my cheek.

"No one is trying to upset you. You have the tendency to look for the best in people. Sometimes it's just not there and you subconsciously make them good in your head. Morelli is not a good person. Don't try to search for his redeeming qualities." my father warned

"Can I go home now?" I asked

"Yeah, let me go get the papers." my father told me

"What time is it again?" I asked Carlos

"Almost one in the afternoon." he informed me

"Shit. I ruined your whole Friday night and now I am wasting your Saturday." I told Carlos and Lester.

"Are you kidding? That was the most excitement I've had in a long time. I got to see Caveman Carlos in action. I got to hold a beautiful girl in my arms and I almost got to see a Burg guido get choked out. Plus I had some hot chick kissing my neck." Lester laughed

I laid my arm across my eyes and felt the blush spread to my cheeks.

"I am so embarrassed." I whined

"Don't be Babe. We all know the only way you would kiss Santos would be if you were under the influence of something." Carlos chuckled

"Hey!" Lester feigned being hurt.

"Okay Steph. We're out of here." My father told us as he came into the room.

"Thank God." I told him

"You guys are welcome to come to the house. Take a nap and then spend the day by the pool." my father suggested as he helped me sit up.

"That actually sounds good." Lester told him

"I had plans with Anna this weekend, but I can cancel." My father explained.

"No. You go. You need the break." I told him

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" he asked

"I won't leave her side." Carlos assure him

My father rolled his eyes and then smiled.

"There are times I am pleased you two are so close. Then there are times this whole thing just makes me nervous." he looked at Carlos. "You do realize I am quite capable of kicking your ass or at least shooting you if I need to right?"

"Yes sir." Carlos smirked

"Dad!" I whined

"Maybe you should have some other friends over." he winked at me. "A welcome home party for Carlos."

"Maybe" I told him

The guys waited in the hall while I got changed in the bathroom. Lester followed my dad to our house and Carlos rode in the back of my dad's car with me. I fell asleep on the way home. I woke up to a knock on my bedroom door. I covered my head with the pillow and tried to ignore it. It only got louder so I called out for them to come in.

"Time to get up sleepy head." my father came into the room. "It's almost five o'clock."

"Ugh!" I moaned out

"Don't waste the rest of your day." he moved to my window and opened the shade.

"Where are Carlos and Lester?" I asked

"They woke up an hour ago. They went to see Abuela and have late lunch with her. They said they would be back by five." he explained

"Good." I sat up and yawned as I reached my hands towards the ceiling.

"I promised Anna I would take her to see her mother this weekend. Are you sure you don't want me to cancel?" he asked me

"No. You already missed one day. Her mom's in the hospital in Brooklyn right?" I asked

"Yeah." he nodded

"Go. I will be fine. I will have Carlos and Lester with me." I smiled

"Sal came and checked on you when you were sleeping but you never woke up." my father explained.

"I'll give him a call." I assured him

"Okay Steph. Be careful and take it easy today." he warned as he kissed me on top of my head.

"I will." I promised.

I was laying out in the sun next to the new pool my father had installed when I felt arms grab me out of the chair. I squealed as Lester tossed me into the water. I pushed my way to the surface and glared at him. My anger faded away fast when I saw Carlos standing by the edge. He looked amazing. He was wearing a black bathing suit and nothing else. The muscles in his chest and arms were big and toned. Even his legs looked amazing. I focused on his abs and especially enjoyed the v shape. I had looked it up after I had last seen him. It was called the adonis belt and it was damn sexy. I finally looked up at his face and he was smiling. His smile was brighter than the sun and his mocha latte skin seemed to sparkle. He jumped in the water and swam towards me. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me senseless.

"Mmm I missed you." I moaned against his neck.

"You two are disgusting." Lester jumped in and splashed us both.

"Hey idiot. You're lucky I don't kick your ass for tossing her in the pool." Carlos warned "What if you made her dizzy or aggravated the headache I am sure she has."

"Shit beautiful. I wasn't thinking." Lester looked down at the ground.

"I'm fine." I assured him with a smile.

He looked up and shot me a smile. Then he did a cannonball right next to us. The water covered us and made waves in the water. Carlos glared at him when he popped out of the water. I tried to glare at him but when I saw him smile it was hard to be mad at him.

"How's Abuela?" I asked Carlos.

"Her hip is bothering her. She was worried about you." he held me to him

"I'll be fine. I just have a little headache." I assured him.

"Hey Steph!" I looked up to see Colleen and her friend Candace come in through the back gate.

"Come on in." I waved them over.

"Hi Carlos!" Colleen called to him

"Hi Colleen. This is my friend Lester." he introduced them

"we met last night. But I haven't met you yet Candace." Lester greeted them.

He got out of the pool walking slowly up the stairs. Colleen's jaw dropped and Candace smiled like she just won the lottery. He went over to Candace and shook her hand as he winked at Colleen. I was thinking both girls should check their mouths for drool. More friends came by. My father had encouraged me to have a get together as long as there was no alcohol. Colleen must have made some calls. Carlos helped me set up the volleyball net across the pool and then he fired up the grill. I had gone into the house for hot dogs and burgers when I heard my phone ringing. It was on the kitchen counter. I glanced at it but the number was blocked.

"Hello"

"Cupcake. Please don't press charges. It was all a mistake." Morelli's voice was strained

"A mistake?" I asked

"Okay well a bad choice. I wasn't thinking. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry." he sounded pathetic

"I can't do that. You know that was really screwed up. I had to have my stomach pumped. I don't know what the hell you were thinking either." I told him

"I'm sorry. I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you. If you don't drop the charges I will get kicked out of the police academy." he sounded like he was choked up.

"Look Morelli..." I sighed

I didn't know what to say. I was still pissed. I know what could have happened and it infuriated me. At the same time I didn't want to ruin his life. I looked up and saw Carlos with a confused look on his face. I mouthed the word Morelli and he held out his hand for the phone. I shook my head no and his expression changed. It was as if he was pleading with me to hand him the phone. he mouthed the word please and I handed him the phone.

"Morelli." Carlos spoke

"Not going to happen."

"You were going to rape her."

"It is rape even if she doesn't say no when she has drugs in her system."

"She's not. Not now. Not ever."

"Can't you get it through your head?"

"No. She is never going to change her mind."

"She is never going to be your girlfriend."

"Don't question our relationship. It's not going to end."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm going to...you know what forget it. You're not worth it."

"The system will make sure you answer for what you have done."

"It's not her fault. You did this to yourself. If they kick you out it's not her fault."

"I am never going to leave her."

Then he hung up.

"What happened?" I asked

"He is delusional. He thinks you two will end up together." Carlos rubbed the bridge of his nose. "He thought the drug would make you see what you really wanted."

"And questioning our relationship?" I asked

He grabbed both of my shoulders and looked into my eyes.

"He thinks I'm using you." he sighed

"He's insane." I mumbled

Carlos studied my face and then pulled me into his chest. He kissed the top of my head.

"I see smoke Babe and you can just stop now. I'm not good with words. I don't talk about my feelings. But you're mine. I know it doesn't sound very PC but you belong to me." he spoke softly

"Does that mean you belong to me too? Are you mine? " I asked

"Always have been."

He kissed the top of my head again and then pulled back. His lips took mine and he pulled me into him. It started slow and then quickly turned frantic. His hands were all over me. My hands went to his chest and I was gripping him. The kiss was hot and demanding. He pulled away quickly and we were both breathing heavy.

"Not here." he breathed out

"I need you." I told him

"Tonight. We need to be alone. We need to talk." he told me

"Why? Is something wrong?" I was nervous

He cupped my face and kissed my nose.

"Honestly?" he asked

"Honestly." I nodded

"I was going to tell you that I got accepted into the Ranger's program." he smiled

"Wow! That's awesome. That's like special forces right?" I asked

"Yes." he nodded

"I am so proud of you. That's incredible." I kissed him

"It's sixty one days of training. Some say it's the hardest combat course in the world." he hugged me to him.

I squeezed him tight and then pulled away. I grabbed his face and kissed him.

"You can do it. You can do anything." I smiled "When will you go?"

"I have to report to Fort Benning, Georgia on August 12th." he explained

"Then you stay there for the whole time?" I asked

"There are phases. Benning phase. Mountain phase. Florida phase. Desert phase." he announced.

He moved over to lean against the counter. He looked both excited and nervous at the same time.

"According to the internet less than fifty percent graduate." he told me

I smiled and shook my head. He had nothing to be worried about. He was one of the strongest people I knew. I moved in front of him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"So I should make plans to go to your graduation in the end of October." I sealed my words with a kiss.

He grabbed the back of my head and pulled me in tight as he deepened our kiss. My breath caught and I couldn't think straight. I was only focused on his mouth, his tongue and his hard body against mine. We came up for air and the only thing that was stopping me from ripping his clothes off was all of my friends outside waiting for food. I was sure Lester would be busting in here any minutes.

"Babe" Carlos got my attention

"From what I understand I may only get one short phone call. The only other way to communicate will be snail mail." he took a deep breath

"After school I have to go to one more school for two weeks to be an official Ranger." he started to explain.

"You're not a Ranger when you finish Ranger school?" I was confused.

"Nope. You just earn the tab for finishing the school. To be a part of the 75th Ranger Regimen- the actual combat Special Operations Force I need to make it through the next school. I will immediately be sent on a mission after that. I need three training missions before I can become a Sergent. My commanding officer who recommended me for this wants to see me as Intelligence Senior Sergent by February." he paused

"Steph, all missions are top secret. I wouldn't be able to tell you anything except for when I am leaving for a mission."

He cupped my face with one hand. He stared into my eyes as he brushed his thumb over my lower lip. He was trying to read my face for a reaction. I was still trying to process everything. This was scary. I hadn't anticipated this. Everyone I know who goes into the military just does bootcamp and maybe a school and then get stationed somewhere. They still call and visit everyone.

"Up until last night I was going to offer you the chance to see other people." he started to play with my hair

"Like I did before you joined?" I asked

"Yes. I was thinking I could be stronger. Save you the worry." he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Is that what you want?" I asked nervously

"No. Not after last night. Even if it makes me the most selfish man in the world." he leaned in for a kiss

I laughed.

"What?" he furrowed his brow

"Morelli strikes again. If only he knew how he keeps making us stronger." I laughed again

"I'm glad he opened my eyes. Every time I try to imagine my life without you..." he stopped

"You imagine your life without me?" I was hurt

"Not like that Babe. I think about sparing you. I don't want you to be alone just sitting around waiting for me. I should let you go so you can live your life without worrying about me. I don't want you hurt if I don't return." he brushed my cheek with the back of his hand.

"Don't you realize even if we aren't together those things will still hurt? Don't try to placate yourself by thinking they will hurt any less if we are in a relationship. They will probably hurt more because I will wish we were together before you left." I informed him

I pulled away from him and made a sound of exasperation.

"You think I am the kind of girl who is going to sit around and pine for you? I have a life Carlos. I will be finishing school and then finding a job. I have my own goals and dreams." I rolled my eyes

"I didn't mean it that way Babe. I know you are independent. I am messing this whole thing up aren't I?" he asked

"You drive me crazy sometimes. This is what you want. I am going to support you. I am going to live my life and focus on my goals just like you. It doesn't mean we can't still support each other. It doesn't mean we need to end what we have. Are you worried about me cheating on you? Are you worried about my loyalty?" I finally asked

"No. I know you better than that. You've already proved you will stand by me no matter what. If it wasn't for you vouching for me and your father helping me I wouldn't even have this opportunity." He grabbed my face and pulled me into a quick kiss.

"Then it's settled. I will be your biggest cheerleader. My man is going to be an Army Ranger." I gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey! Where's the food?" Lester asked as he popped his head in the back door.

"It's coming. Give us another minute." Carlos told him

"I'm starving!" he whined

"Santos!" Carlos growled

"Okay another minute." he closed the door.

"I am going to come home to a successful woman. I'm sure you'll be profiling for some police force, the CIA or the FBI or something when I return." he smiled

"I hope so." I smiled

"I believe in you Babe." he assured me

"I believe in you Carlos and together we can do anything." I leaned against him.

His hand was still cupping my face. He was stroking my cheek with his thumb. His hand stilled on my face and he stared into my eyes.

"I love you."

He spoke softly just barely above a whisper and then took my mouth with his. What? What did he just say? He loves me?

************************NOTES*************

Foxtale3- sorry if I have disappointed you by the ages. I do have a daughter and I do work with kids 2.5 and up every day. This is fiction- think of the Rugrats. LOL


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11- Twenty two years old.

"What have you got Plum?" Chief Masella asked

I took a seat in the chair across from Trenton's Chief of Police. I opened up my files and turned some papers towards him so that he could read them. I had been on the case for less than two weeks and was already excited at the leads I had produced.

"He is definitely a male. Most likely white. I know that Detective Smith had a couple of gang members on his list of suspects but in my opinion pursuing those leads at this time would be a waste of resources. While you know I believe in leaving no stone left unturned it's more important to focus on the most likely suspects first."

I looked up for his approval and he nodded for me to continue.

"Our killer is between the age of 30-39. Kills close to home. He is very organized. He is employed, is active in social relationships. He probably has a wife. He doesn't act on impulse. He prepares, plans and even rehearses his plans. We already know he has a specific type. Women above the height of 5'5" brown hair and blue eyes in their 20's." I told him

"Do you have any suspects?" he asked me

"I have been working with Detective Barron. We think we have it narrowed down to five main suspects." I nodded "We still have some feelers out there looking for a couple of other possibilities."

"Sounds good. Do your thing and trust your instincts. You have my full confidence." he smiled at me. "We need to get this guy. Between the press, the higher ups and the media we are really feeling the push to solve this case.""

"We will. Thanks for the vote of confidence." I returned his smile.

"Stephanie, when you first came to the department and suggested hiring you on I was very skeptical. I couldn't come up with an argument for adding a profiler or an investigator to the payroll. We only had room in the budget to pay you per case. It's been almost two years and you have solved every single case you have been given. You're instincts are like nothing I have ever seen. Even some veteran cops who have been on the force for over twenty years don't have your intuition and thinking." he stood from his desk

"Thank you sir." I blushed

"We're going to lose you soon aren't we?" he asked

"Well...uhm" I stuttered

"I know. You have to be twenty-three and have three years on the job to join the FBI. I guess I should be grateful to have you for another year or so." he came around the desk and offered me his hand.

I shook his hand and then headed out of his office. I went to Detective Barron's small office and plopped down in the guest chair. Barron wasn't at his desk. I spread my files across the top of the light wood desk and tried to narrow down our list further. I needed to pick a guy to tail. I scanned over the photos and chose Derek Whitby. He lives in the Burg. Should be easy to follow him around and see if he leads me anywhere. I would give him 24 hours before I move on to the next suspect. I made some notes and hoped Barron would follow Caleb Wood so we could tackle two suspects at once. Time was ticking and I was worried we might find another body.

"Hey Cupcake." Morelli walked into the office

I rolled my eyes. "Good Morning Officer Morelli."

After the roofy incident at Karma I tried my best to avoid him at all costs. Morelli was accepted to Police Academy after his charges were downgraded to a misdemeanor for having knowledge of Anthony's activity. The judge was his second cousin. He paid a $500 fine and did six months of community service. Anthony was charged with a Second degree assault charge because he confessed to drugging my drink. He served two years in jail and had just gotten released last month. The Burg was split between thinking I made it all up to thinking one of the Morelli boys did it to me. I no longer cared what the Burg thought of me.

Personally I had learned to ignore most of the gossip in the Burg. My main priority was my job and spending time with Carlos whenever he was able to come home and visit. I was so very proud of his accomplishments since joining the Army. I worked hard to make him feel supported and appreciated. I sent care packages at least once a month and a letter every week. I wasn't sure how long it would take until they reached him wherever he was, but I wanted him to know I was thinking about him.

I had big plans to become an FBI profiler. Since working with the Trenton PD I had helped to solve all twelve cases I was assigned. The FBI contacted me last year after I solved a big case. A local rock star's son was taken. I was able to recover her in less than 48 hours. His former band mate had not taken getting fired well. He kidnapped the singer's son and took him to Philadelphia. While the police were wasting time on the rocker's wife, ex-wife and girlfriend I had a feeling about Travis Cook. That feeling brought me to Philadelphia to catch him. That case is what got me noticed by the local PD, media and the FBI.

"Looking good." Morelli broke into my thoughts

I rolled my eyes again as he looked me up and down. I was wearing a black pencil skirt and a long sleeve silky red button down shirt. I was annoyed by him just breathing. I was lucky that even working here I barely saw him. He had taken the detective's test three times before he passed. There were no open positions for him right now, so he was stuck on patrol. I know for a fact the chief offered him a transfer so he could work as a detective right away. He chose to stay on patrol until a spot opened up in Trenton. Detective Smith would be retiring next month and Morelli would be moved up to his position on vice.

"How are you Cupcake?" he didn't take the hint when I ignored him.

"It's Stephanie or Ms. Plum Officer Morelli." I corrected him

"Sorry Steph." he put his hands in his pockets.

"It's fine." I dismissed him

"You wanna grab some dinner tonight?" he offered

"No thanks. I will probably be working late." I explained

"Well, I was just needing some advice." he told me

"Advice about what?" I looked at him.

"My Aunt passed away and left me her house. I just need some basic ideas on how to decorate. Color ideas." he shuffled his feet.

I laughed "I'm not very domestic."

"You have great taste in clothes and shoes." he smiled

He looked me up and down slowly and I felt dirty. I needed a shower after any interaction with him. I felt sorry for him because of the family he was born into. The Morelli family was well known for their cheating, alcoholic and wife abusing men. He was trying to fight off that rumor but he wasn't always doing a great job. I wanted to see him get better. I wanted to see him make something out of his life. Maybe when he gets the promotion to detective that will help him live up the the man he should be. Carlos constantly reminds me that not everyone has good in them, but I still try to look for it.

"Hey hot stuff." Detective Barron came strolling into his office.

"What's up stud muffin?" I teased him

"I see you two are busy." Morelli sighed

Morelli hung his head and left the office. Barron closed the door behind him.

"You okay Steph?" Barron asked

"Yeah. Thanks for that." I smiled

"Oh wait, you mean I can't always call you hot stuff?" he teased

"Not unless you want a knee to your balls." we both laughed.

"I swear that guy is obsessed with you." he shook his head.

He moved around his desk and sat in his chair.

"If I ever disappear one day make sure you question him first. Check his basement." I joked

The Detective whipped his head up and looked at me seriously.

"That's exactly what I would do." he stated

I always enjoyed working with Detective Barron. We got along well and he had a playful personality. He knew of my history with Morelli and had no problem helping me piss him off or helping me get rid of him whenever I needed it. Our current case had us looking for a serial killer in Trenton. He had murdered eight women in two months. All of the women had brown hair and blue eyes. I knew Barron was worried about me as all of the victims homes were located in Trenton. He filled me in on his latest dead ends. I gave him some new places to investigate.

I handed him a file of a guy to check out over the weekend and I showed him the one I chose. I promised to send a text each night to touch base and see if we got any info. He currently had one other open case so I tried to do as much of the desk work as possible. He was divorced with a four year old son but this was not his weekend so I knew he would have extra time to fill. Helping him stay busy made the weekends without his son just a little easier.

I left the station at six and drove to my apartment. I had a small one bedroom apartment in an old brick building. Most of my neighbors were senior citizens, but I liked the atmosphere. Carlos hated the fire escape outside of my bedroom window and thought the locks on my front door were weak. To me for now it was home. I was saving up money to buy my own house. I was thinking about getting a second job after this case so I can speed things along. I had no problems living with my father but I wanted him and Anna to have alone time and I enjoyed the Independence.

I was starving by the time I walked in the door. I hung up my coat and dropped my purse on the sideboard. I went to my kitchen hunting for something to eat. Nothing. I had been so wrapped up in the case I had forgotten to go to the grocery store. I grabbed a water and plopped down on the couch. I glanced at the TV and then focused on the pictures displayed on the entertainment center.

Abuela, Carlos and I at his boot camp graduation. Abuela, Carlos and I at his Ranger school graduation. There were other pictures of Carlos and I. The final one was the most recent. It was Carlos and some of his friends in the desert. He didn't tell me where it was taken. It had arrived last week with his letter. I went into my bedroom and pulled open the drawer of my nightstand to pull out his letter. I laid down on the stomach and read the letter for the hundredth time.

 _Babe,_

 _I hope everything is going well for you. I miss you like crazy. I am hoping to get home to see you in the next couple of weeks. Here's a picture of me with some friends training before I flew out. The big guy next to me is Tank. He just got a Dear John letter today. I hope the next letter from you says Dear Carlos. Here's your current need to know intel...  
I love you and I can't wait to hold you in my arms. I think about you all of the time. See you soon._

 _Love Always_

 _Carlos_

Short and sweet. He never gave me too much information about where he was or what he was doing. I pulled out my pen and paper as I crawled back into the bed. I sat back against the headboard and twirled the pen around a bit before I wrote.

 _Dear Carlos,_

 _I miss your face. I miss your arms around me. Most of all I miss your kisses. I wish I had days to count until your return. I try not to count the days we have been apart but right now it's day 128. My job is still going great. We still haven't caught the the guy on the case I told you about. Dad and Anna are on a second honeymoon again. Sal finally found a girlfriend that lasted more than a week. She lasted two. Abuela is recovering well from her hip replacement. I stop by every morning to make sure she has everything she needs. Every Saturday we have been touring assisted living places. She wants a condo type place where there are others near her and she has no upkeep. Yes I am investigating each place with her and background checking all employees. I had dinner with your family a couple of weeks ago and everyone is well. Haven't seen Lester in a while, assuming that means he is fine. Can't wait for you to get home._

 _XOXO_

 _Steph_

Just as I signed my name I heard a knock at the door.

"Coming." I called out

I heard the knob shaking and the door opened before I could reach it. I screamed and grabbed at my heart before I noticed it was Lester.

"LESTER! You jerk!" I screamed

"A jerk bearing pizza." he wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'm starving." I grabbed the pizza from him.

He closed the door and locked it. He slid the deadbolt in place and then locked the security bar against the door. He moved over to where I was sitting at the table and kissed the top of my head.

"You know you're supposed to engage all locks whenever you are inside." he warned

"Carlos is too protective." I complained

"He worries about you Beautiful." he grabbed a piece of pizza.

"I know." I sighed "What's up? I haven't' seen you in a while."

"Same stuff. Different day." he shrugged

"Really?" I asked

"One more year then I take the bar exam." he reminded me

"That's great. Ladies?" I grabbed for my second piece of pizza

"Still trying to find one who doesn't want me for my body." he wiggled his eyebrows.

"You're so in love with yourself. That's your problem. You will never find anyone who loves you more than you love yourself." I giggled

"That hurts." he clutched his chest

"Yeah right!" I smiled

I got up and grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge and brought them to the table.

"How did you know I needed pizza?" I asked him

"You always need pizza." he winked

"Yeah well it was perfect tonight. I forgot to go grocery shopping and I am too exhausted to go out tonight." I set my feet up on the chair next to me

"I don't know how you wear those heels all day Beautiful." he shook his head

"I need to look professional. Suits and heels makes people take me seriously." I took a drink

"Or it could be your legs especially in a skirt. They are all overheated and confess their darkest secrets." he laughed

I tossed a napkin at him across the table.

"I'll go grocery shopping in the morning." he smiled.

"You staying the night? Something wrong?" I asked

"I was hoping you would let me crash longer. I transferred over to Temple and the train is faster from here to Philly. Newark adds another hour." he explained

"I'm not a very good roommate and there is only one bed." I reminded him

"I took the liberty of ordering a new couch. It is a sleeper sofa. It'll be here tomorrow." he shrugged

I studied his face for a minute as he bit into his third piece of pizza. He smiled at me with a full mouth. I took another swig of beer and rolled my eyes.

"Carlos?" I asked

"What about him?" Lester asked

"You transferred schools? You uprooted your life? All to come here and make sure I am okay. He sent you to take care of me? He thinks I can't take care of myself?" I shook my head

I was starting to get angry. I am a strong independent woman. I am capable of taking care of myself. I have trained with the police, passed all of their mental and physical tests. I have been running every day to train for the FBI's physical test.

"Steph, you're on a scary case. You have many scary cases. You love your job. He would never ask you to quit or do a different job. He just wants to support you. He's my best friend. I don't really have a life to uproot." he shrugged again

"Why not?" I asked him

"My mother walked out on us when I was ten. My father is drunk most of the time and I don't have any brothers or sisters. Carlos is the closest thing I have to a brother. I may be older than him but he has always looked out for me. Even when he was in Miami." he took a deep breath "He sent me money you know. He knew I didn't make much and I was trying to save for college."

"From Miami?" I asked

Lester nodded.

"And now." he admitted

"When he got his bonus from the Army?" I asked

"Yes. I was going to enlist but he encouraged me to finish law school. He got the 35k bonus when he agreed to the intelligence field. He got another 25k when he completed Ranger training. Both times he gave me 10k." he explained

"I didn't know." I was surprised

"It wasn't something he talked about. He was thinking of my pride. He didn't want to embarrass me." he told me

"But you're telling me now." I challenged

"I trust you. You've become a real friend to me since we met. Besides, my best friend loves you." he smiled

Carlos had told me he loved me for the first time two years ago. From the moment that we met he has been the only man in my life. I knew I loved him with all of my heart. I just had a hard time saying it. Growing up I never heard Frank and Helen say it to each other. They barely said it to me. They didn't hug or kiss or show any outward affection. Joe and Sal told me they loved me and gave me hugs all of the time and it was still difficult for me to say it back to them. I hoped one day it would be easier. Carlos was patient and understanding of my life. He told me he knew I felt it and when I was ready I would say it.

"Please let me do this. I can feel like I am paying him back a little. " Lester pleaded "Besides I like hanging out with you."

I let out a heavy sigh. I didn't like the fact that Carlos had asked him to do this, and never even wrote to tell me about it. I didn't like the fact that he had already ordered a new couch thinking I would say yes. I knew Carlos was over protective and possessive but this was to the extreme. I hated not being included in decisions that involved me. Most of all I hate others making the decision for me.

"Les, I don't think..." I began

"Just hear me out Beautiful." he interrupted

I nodded

"You know Carlos' missions can be dangerous. You know he has to focus on the job so he can come back to you. If he is worried about you he won't be focused. This is a way we can both help him. You will have someone to split expenses with and we will both have the company of someone we actually like. I hate my roommate." he told me

I held up my hand to stop him from talking. I took a deep breath and then nodded.

"Okay, you're right. It's important for him to focus instead of worrying about me back here. You know I would do anything I can to make his missions easier." I paused and then finally gave in. "You will be responsible for picking up and purchasing groceries each month and I will take care of rent and utilities." I explained

"But..." he tried

"No. That's the only way I will accept." I dared him to disagree.

He smiled "Okay Beautiful."

I picked up the pizza box and wrapped up the remaining pizza and set it in the refrigerator. I grabbed my beer and headed for the living room. I sat down on the couch meaning to turn on the TV. When I realized the remote was on the table on the other side I left it there. I sat just staring off into space thinking about my case.

"You want to tell me about this case you're working on?" Lester sat down at the other end of the couch.

I shrugged. "You know this is between us?"

"Always." he assured me

"Well. most of it can be put together from the news stories anyway. Eight women in two months. All women are white with brown hair, blue eyes and taller than 5'5". All women in their 20's." I began

"Holy Shit! Now I can see why Carlos was so worried. You just described yourself." he had his mouth open

I rolled my eyes. "I doubt I am even on his radar."

"That may be the case but still..." he shook his head.

"I am working with Detective Barron and we have it narrowed down to five suspects. We're getting close." I informed him

"At least you aren't working with Morelli. I still can't believe he's a cop." Lester finished off his beer.

"He only got charged with a misdemeanor." I shrugged

"Because Anthony lied and took the blame again." Les shook his head "Anyone that can allow their own family to take the blame for something they did is a very screwed up individual." Lester blew out a frustrated breath.

"It's the Burg." I shrugged

"Well, if that's the Burg then the Burg sucks." Lester laughed

"Agreed" I told him

"Is he giving you any problems?" he asked

I shrugged "Not really. I ignore him."

"He's still trying to hook up with you?" Lester's eyes were wide.

"He tries to talk to me. I ignore him." I finished my beer.

"I hate that you have to see him everyday." he stared at the blank TV screen.

Lester reached over and grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. I banged my shoulder into his and smiled. I got up and collected his beer bottle. I brought both of the bottles to the kitchen and threw them in the recycle bin. I went to the hall closet and pulled out a pillow and a blanket. I handed them to Lester and he jumped to his feet.

"Oh no! I forgot your present!" he yelled

He darted through the door. I heard the door to the stairwell open and close. I went to the window to look out at the parking lot and couldn't make out much under the dim lights. He went to his car and pulled some kind of package from the backseat. I went to the door to wait for Lester to come back up. I waited excitedly for the stairwell door to open. I didn't get a lot of presents, especially one for no reason. The door opened and Lester stepped closer. My eyes grew wide.

"Oh my God!" I squealed.

"I knew you'd love him." Lester smirked "I know what ladies like."

I rolled my eyes and took the cage from him. I moved into the apartment and slid the cage on the kitchen counter. A fuzzy little brown hamster peeked out from under some wood chips. I ran over to the recycle bin and pulled out a soup can. I peeled off the label and cleaned it out while Lester carried in food and bedding for our new friend. I took off the cover and slid the soup can in. As soon as the little guy saw it he crawled right in. His whole body fit inside but I could tell he was laying head first.

"So cute! What's its name? Boy or girl?" I asked excitedly

"Boy and I didn't choose one. I figured you could." he shrugged

"Me?" I was surprised

"Yeah, I always wanted a pet and I thought even I could handle this type of commitment." he tried to look innocent.

"It's the first step to growing up." I teased him

I squatted down and peered into the glass cage. I tapped the glass but he didn't move.

"Fido" I tried

No movement.

"Spike" I tried

No movement.

"Lester Junior." Les called out

No movement.

"Spuds" I guessed

No movement.

"Paco" Les tried

No movement.

"Rex" I tried

He moved. Rex came out of the soup can. He looked at each of us as his whiskers twitched before he ran back into his soup can.

"Congratulations Ms. Stephanie Plum on your new son Rex." Lester teased.

He pulled me into a headlock and used his knuckles to rub at the top of my hair.

"Owww" I whined

I elbowed his side and he pulled away from me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and we stood there watching Rex's butt move up and down as he slept.

"Our sweet boy. Awww" Lester made goo goo eyes at me

I grabbed his face and yanked it to the side before planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you." I told him

"No problem Beautiful." he winked

"I am exhausted I need sleep." I told him.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" he asked

"I'm going to tail one of my suspects. Then who knows?" I shrugged

"I can come with you and we can hit the grocery store while we are out. Maybe even catch a movie?" he asked

"Okay. I plan on leaving here around eight." I warned him.

He stepped closer and pulled me into his arms. He gave me a hug and then pulled back and kissed my cheek.

"Thanks for letting me stay." he smiled

"Thanks for being such a good friend." I returned his smile

"By the way Beautiful do you shower at night or in the morning?" he asked me

"Usually in the morning. Why?" I asked him

"Just wanted to make sure I was available in case you needed a hand." he winked

I rolled my eyes "You will never change."

"Broke the mold with me." he smiled.

"Goodnight Les." I shook my head but smiled as I went into my bedroom.

"Night Beautiful."

As soon as I threw on my t-shirt and shorts I pulled out the letter I had already written for Carlos. I decide to add to the bottom.

 _P.S._  
 _You're a jerk for sending Les to protect me and not even telling me about it. He did bring me a hamster so I guess it is worth putting up with him. Really thank you so much Carlos. I didn't need a roommate but it's nice to have a friend nearby. I can't wait to see you. It makes me feel so loved to know you are thinking about me as much as I think about you.  
_

First thing in the morning Lester and I went grocery shopping. I hadn't seen Helen Plum in months and now she is standing in front of me.

"If it isn't the Burg tramp. Or should I call you number fifty?" she sneered

I rolled my eyes and ignored her as I studied the different themed macaroni and cheese boxes.

"The least you could do is apologize for being an embarrassment to your family." she gave a disgusted sound with her mouth.

"I haven't been a part of your family my whole life." I glared at her. "My family is proud of me."

"So change your name to Juniak already so you can be his problem. I don't know why you are so desperate for attention that you feel the need to make up stories about good men." she shook her head

I was getting frustrated and down right pissed off. Lester sensed it. He placed his hand on my arm to calm me.

"So this is your type now? I thought you were dating that black guy." she shrugged "Figures. Once you got spoiled no decent man was going to want you."

I leaned in close to her so I wouldn't contribute to the scene she was obviously trying to make.

"I am so happy to hear that because I don't want a decent man. I have an extraordinary man. I have a supportive father and protective brother. I have friends who feel like family. I have a good job that makes me proud. I am happy in spite of you." then I smiled

"Well..." she was speechless at first.

"Excuse me." Lester smiled

He navigated the shopping cart around her and pulled me along with him. We grabbed some more items together and then got everything home.

"I'm proud of you for focusing on the positive and not letting your mother get you down." Lester hugged his friend

"I'm glad you were there." I assured him

"I guess Carlos knew you needed extra support." he rubbed my arms

"I just don't understand why she hates me so much. I never asked to be born. I never did anything except be myself." my hands were gesturing as I spoke.

Lester laughed. "They say to shut up an Italian you have to tape down their hands instead of their mouth."

I laughed and rolled my eyes "Lester."

"Seriously Beautiful, you are a great person. You're the sister I always wanted." he grabbed my arms and kissed my forehead.

"Thank you." I couldn't help but smile.

"Now let's go watch one of the creepers." he joked

We hopped into my VW Jetta and headed to Whitby's place. It was a Saturday morning and I needed to see some of his routine. We ran through the Dunkin' Donuts drive thru for mind and body fuel during our stake out. We watched his place for almost two hours before he went out. We followed him to his mother's house. We doubled back to his home and did a quick walk through. It's not breaking and entering if you don't break anything. At least that's what I told myself. We went back to his mother's house and he was still there. He stayed there for an hour before heading out again. We followed him to the library, the park and to the home improvement store. Nothing that caused me to think he required extra attention.

I dug in my bag and pulled out another folder. We grabbed some lunch before going to check out another suspect. Chase Hughes. We found his place and watched him. He spent his evening with various prostitutes coming and going. We checked out his garage and when we looked through the window of his house we saw him passed out on the couch. We did a quick pass through and saw nothing that caught my attention. Again nothing broken meant there was no crime.

After a call from Detective Barron we moved three suspects to the unlikely pile. There were only two left in the possible pile. I was missing something but I couldn't put my finger on it. Lester and I went back to the apartment for dinner. I ordered Chinese and made my plans for Sunday. I went through some search programs and notes on my lap top. Lester made himself busy on his own computer. I know he was researching the classes he had registered for and exchanging e-mails with his future supervisor at his internship.

The next morning we found ourselves at the same table with our laptops drinking coffee this time. Detective Barron called me to let me know he came up with nothing from checking out Caleb Wood. He had another case come up so I volunteered to check out the other two suspects on my own. The new couch bed was delivered and we went to the mall shopping for sheets. We found a home goods store and Lester picked out some neutral colored curtains and pillows. I found a landscape picture of the beach. We caught a movie and then headed back to the apartment to get a good night of sleep.

Lester spent the week going back and forth to Temple University. He met up with study partners and picked up all of his books. I checked into our last two suspects and came up empty. I was disappointed and headed back to the drawing board. I went over the demographics. I went over the tiny bit of evidence we had. I ran a check against car descriptions, partial plates and messages from the hot line. A reporter had been bothering me all week leaving messages for me to give them some story or information on the case.

Thursday Lester called to let me know it was time to come home for dinner. I glanced at the clock and realize it was after seven and I was still sitting in front of the computer at the station. I packed up to head home and headed to the parking lot. The sun was setting and it was silent in the lot. I was almost to the car when a man stepped out from behind an SUV.

"Ms. Plum, can I just get your statement on the Blue eyed killer?" he asked

"I have no comment." I told him as I trudged forward

"Please Ms. Plum. The citizens of Trenton have a right to know how to protect themselves." he told me.

"No comment." I repeated

"Ms. Plum?" I heard another voice

When I turned the man took my picture. I realized they were together. It was also then that I really saw the reporters face. I recognized him but I didn't know from where. He was tall with brown chestnut colored hair and blue eyes. He was built well and you could tell he worked out. As I was looking at him I heard the camera clicking away. I turned my head and held my hand in front of my face.

"Ms. Plum? How are you going to feel if another woman gets killed because of you?" he asked

"What?" I turned to glare at him.

"I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. My name is Antonio Delsenaro, Trenton Times." he extended his hand.

I shook his hand and then looked at the photographer.

"Mike Deacon." he smiled and then clicked another picture.

"Look Mr. Delsenaro..." I began

Deacon clicked more pictures.

"Antonio." he corrected

"Okay Antonio." I gave him a smile. "I don't have any pertinent information for you. If I did I would tell you. I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

I could still hear the camera clicking away.

"I just want to get some information out to the public." he explained

"Let me talk to the Chief tomorrow before I talk to you. Okay? It's all I can offer you." I explained

"I appreciate that. Can I call you tomorrow?" he asked

I heard clicking again and snapped my head to look at Mike Deacon.

"Surely you don't need that many pictures." I glared

"I have the perfect subject." he winked

"Can you just stop?" I rolled my eyes.

"I could but I won't." he made his eyes wide.

He looked creepy and he made me feel creepy. I glanced at Antonio and then back to Deacon.

"Mike, I think we have all we need." Antonio told him.

The photographer rolled his eyes but walked away from the two of us. I smiled a thank you to Antonio.

"So, can I call you?" Antonio asked

"Yeah. Call me after three and I should have an answer for you." I clicked my car unlocked.

"Thank you Ms. Plum." he shot me a smile.

"Stephanie." I corrected

"Thank you Stephanie." his eyes smiled and I felt I could trust him.

"Here's my card." I dug in my purse and handed him one of my cards.

The card had my cell phone number and the number for the phone I shared with Detective Barron whenever I was working on a case. I had a good feeling abut this guy and I considered myself a very good judge of character. I knew one thing. The photographer creeped me out.

"After three." Antonio nodded as he took the card.

I gave him a quick finger wave as I pulled out of the parking lot.

"Finally!" Les called as I came through the door. "I was starting to get worried."

"I'm not used to having someone waiting for me." I shrugged

"You work too hard Beautiful. You must be starving." He came over and kissed the top of my head as he gave me a big hug.

"Yeah. I should have grabbed something." I let out a sigh

He lead me to the kitchen. "I made pasta."

"Thank God. I am definitely on the verge of hangry." I smiled and then froze as I rounded the corner and saw the kitchen table.

"Wouldn't want to see you like that." the man at the table said

"This is one of my study partners Dickie Orr." Lester introduced me to the man sitting at my table.

Lester went to the stove to make me a plate and the man at the table got to his feet. He was a very attractive man a couple of inches taller than me. He had almost black hair and hazel eyes. He smiled and held out his hand as he took a step towards me. I shook his hand and nodded.

"Dickie?" I asked

"It's Richard. Unfortunately Dickie is a left over childhood nickname that I have never been able to get rid of." he shrugged

He pulled out a chair and I moved into the seat as he pushed me up to the table. Lester set a plate in front of me. I grabbed the grated cheese and covered the pasta. The guys began discussing a plan for one of their harder courses. They were diving up responsibilities like making flash cards and recopying notes. I grabbed myself a beer and brought one back for each of them as well. As I ate I caught Dickie stealing glances at me. He was an attractive man but still there was something off about him. I couldn't figure it out.

"Are you okay?" Dickie asked me

"She just misses her boyfriend." Lester teased as he kicked my leg under the table.

"I was wondering how a beautiful woman like you ended up with Lester for a roommate." Dickie chuckled.

"Hey! The ladies love me. I have charm, looks and moves." of course he wiggled his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes. "It's his sense of humor."

"Just curious if you two are dating." Dickie's eyes were glued on me

"Yuk." I scrunched up my nose.

"That would be like incest." Lester joined me in the nose scrunching.

Dickie laughed. "You have a lot of will power Les."

I glanced over and caught Dickie look me up and down. Lester noticed and a frown settled across his face. There was something about Dickie. Something familiar. If I believed in former lives I would think I may have known him in one. I thanked Lester for dinner and excused myself. I took a quick shower so I could relax before going to sleep. When I got out I changed into my usual shorts and a tank top. I listened by the door to see if Dickie was still there. I heard hushed conversation and decided to wait for him to leave before I went out.

I straightened up the room and cleaned the bathroom. I figured Dickie should be gone by now. When I came out of the room they were both still sitting at the table. Heads buried in their books and laptops. I went to the kitchen and poured myself some orange juice. Lester came over to me and slung his arm around my shoulders.

"He's leaving soon. Sorry Beautiful." he whispered in my ear.

"It's your place too." I smiled

I wrapped my arms around his waist and gave him a hug. I rinsed out my glass and placed it into the dishwasher before heading back to my room. As I moved to pass Dickie he rose to his feet and pulled me into a hug. I stiffened and wasn't sure what to do. I let my arms stay stiff against my sides. He held me and I heard him sniff my hair.

"You smell different when you're awake." he whispered at my ear

I pulled back quickly and stared at him in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Dickie asked

"What did you just say?" I asked him

"I said that was the best hug I've had all year." he explained himself

"Oh...well...hmmm." I didn't know what to say.

"Sorry. My mom passed away a few months ago. I had to take a semester off and got behind. That's why I am working so hard with Lester." Dickie explained.

"Glad that you are back on track. Sorry for your loss." I told him

"Thank you." he nodded

"Well, I am off to bed. Good night guys." I told them both.

"Goodnight Beautiful." Lester smiled

I gave them both a finger wave and went into my bedroom. I definitely had a weird feeling about tonight. I was aggravated with myself for thinking the worst of Dickie, but I still couldn't let it go. The week went by and I explained to the reporter the Chief still had no comment for now. The Chief asked me to wait until the end of the week to speak to him and hopefully we would have something we could release to the public by then. Barron and I came up with and dismissed all new leads that came in during the week. My Spidey sense was going off as I was doing a search on the computer.

"We are looking for a dark haired man. It's like I can see him in my head but can't make out his face. I know I have met him." I explained to detective Barron.

"I trust your instincts Plum. Your 'Spidey sense'. Just go with it and I'll follow your lead on this one." he responded

"I have been obsessed with thinking about that photographer from the Trenton Times. I am going to meet with the reporter and see if I can get some information." I explained

"You think he might be our guy?" the Detective asked me. "Or your new guy?"

"Definitely not my guy." I laughed " I have one."

"I know you do and he is very...intimidating. Let's just say I would never want to be on his bad side." Barron told me.

"The reporter is attractive and seems nice. The photographer just seems creepy. I plan on finding out if he is our guy." I raised my shoulders and brought up my hands in question.

"Sounds good. You want some back up?" Barron asked

"No. I am just going to get some information for now." I smiled.

I called Antonio Friday morning and suggested we meet at a diner around the corner from the police station at one o'clock. I called Les to let him know my plans. I wanted to make sure someone knew where I was meeting the photographer just in case something happened. Lester was headed to Abuela's house for the weekend to help her pack up. We were going to get her moved into her new condo in assisted living on Monday morning.

I didn't want to eat like myself in front of the reporter and the photographer. I didn't want to risk any unflattering pictures being taken. I arrived at the diner at exactly noon. I read a file while I was waiting for the waitress. My attention was quickly diverted to the door every time I heard the bells hanging above the door jingle. I wondered how people could work here all day and deal with that sound. I noticed one of the waitresses looked up every time she heard it. The other three just ignored it, desensitized I assumed.

I ordered my bacon cheeseburger with bacon cheese fries and a coke. The Chief had helped me with a prepared statement to give the reporter. The bells above the door moved and I glanced up to see Anthony Morelli. He smiled and I ignored him and went back to preparing. I was supposed to say we are working hard to locate the suspect who we believe committed several murders over the last two months. We had all available personnel actively looking for evidence to solve this case. This case is a top priority of the Trenton Police Department. Lots of vague wording and lots of proactive moves. I was nervous to give my first statement to a reporter but the Chief didn't want to do a press conference.

The bells sounded again and I looked up to see Joe Morelli. Obviously here to join his brother. I rolled my eyes at his finger wave and focused on my food. They were a few tables away but I could hear some of their conversation. Anthony was reporting that Carlos was still out of town but he saw a man going in and out of my place. I blew out a deep breath and squirted some more catsup on my burger. I listened as Anthony wondered out loud whether I was a whore. Joe was sure I was saving myself for marriage. Pretty ridiculous sentiment from the man who listed me as his number fifty and tried to ruin my reputation. At least they weren't talking about that night at Karma. I wish they could find someone else to focus on. My phone chimed for a text

 _ **Dinner at Abuela's tonight?** \- Lester_

 _ **Sounds Good what time?** \- I responded_

 _ **5:00** \- Lester_

 _ **See you there** \- I responded_

I was finishing off my fries when I felt a familiar tingle on the back of my neck. Carlos! The bell rang above the door and I looked up only to see Tina Rozzoli. I forced a smile and dipped my head back down. I was disappointed. I forced myself to focus back on my notes. Those stupid bells were going to haunt me in my sleep. I looked up to check the clock and my jaw dropped.

"Babe"

I tripped trying to pull myself from the booth and Carlos threw out his hands to catch me. He pulled me into his arms and lifted me to his chest. I closed my eyes and squeezed hard. I needed to make sure it wasn't a dream. I needed to make sure it was him and he was real. I leaned back and planted a quick kiss on his lips before moving them to kiss his cheek and jaw line. I ended at his ear and sucked his lobe into my mouth.

"I missed you so much." I whispered.

He walked me backwards and we slipped out the back door of the diner. We were in the alley and he had me pressed against the wall. His mouth crashed down on mine and our tongues immediately began to dance together. His whole body was pressed against me and I had one hand on his neck and the other fisted in his hair. His knee wiggled in between mine and I felt my body heat rise up as if I was suddenly set on fire. When we came up for air I settled my cheek against his.

"How did you know where to find me?" I whispered

"Your new roommate sweet cheeks." he chuckled

I was rubbing up and down his back with my hands when I heard a car pull in to the alley.

My hands stilled as I heard two car doors open and close. I heard voices that I recognized.

"I plan on leaving with her right after lunch." a man said

I held my finger up to my lips so Carlos knew I needed to hear this.

"This is going to be the last one?" another voice asked.

"She is the only one I think about." I knew that voice and was just trying to place it.

"Maybe she's smarter than you think."

I closed my eyes. It was the photographer. It was Mike Deacon. I thought the other voice was Antonio. That meant they were both in on it. I had to find out. I had to know if one or both of them were the killers I was searching for.

"Bait." I whispered

Carlos looked into my eyes. His jaw clenched and his eyes burned a hole into mine. I wasn't sure if he was going to fight or argue. His jaw relaxed slowly and his eyes turned soft. He placed a gentle kiss on my lips and nodded. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the diner. He moved me to slide back into my booth. He sat directly behind me in the next booth. The bells chimed and I looked up to watch Antonio and Mike walk in.

I calmly waved them over and Antonino motioned for me to slide over so he could get in. I took a deep breath. I had been hoping to sit by myself and this complicated my plans. Carlos was home. I wanted to be in his arms. But this had to come first. I had a new sense of confidence knowing he had my back. I read the prepared statement to Antonio and we made small talk while we drank coffee. I answered what questions I could and did the 'no comment' on the rest.

"Ms. Plum would you mind coming out to the car with us? I want to take some pictures of you for the story. Nothing with you straight on and smiling. Some profile pics of you thinking or looking at your notebook. I need some natural shots" Mike explained.

"Naturally posed?" I teased

Mike shot me a huge smile. "Exactly"

"Okay." I agreed

I began searching for my wallet in my purse but Antonio grabbed the check before he slid out of the booth. I followed behind him and glanced back before we left. No Carlos. Maybe it was a dream? Could I be that desperate to see him that I imagined it all? I followed Mike out towards the alley and noticed Antonino slip in behind me. I walked to the alley sandwiched in between two men I considered suspects in several murders

"I have the new lens in the trunk." Mike told me

Antonio put his hand on the small of my back and guided me forward. When he opened the trunk I saw a blanket. He pulled the blanket aside and pulled out some duct tape. I took a step back and bumped right into Antonio. He caught me by the shoulders and spun me around.

"You okay?" he asked

"Yeah. Just tripped I think." I was trying to calm down my heart rate.

"He's got a messy trunk. I always tell him the cops will think he is a kidnapper if he ever has his car searched." Antonio laughed

"Duct tape fixes everything." Mike laughed

He handed me a lens to inspect before he fit it on his camera. He took a picture and then showed me through the viewing screen. I liked the clarity and told him how I was impressed. I kept waiting for something to happen. For one of them to pull a knife or a gun or grab me. They continued to make small talk with me and my eyes scanned the alley for Carlos. Nothing.

"Thanks for meeting with us Steph." Antonio told me

"My pleasure." I extended my hand

I shook hands with both Antonio and Mike before they got in their car. I couldn't explain how I was feeling. My Spidey sense was going off like crazy but there was no threat. I waved as they pulled away. I shrugged and let out a sigh. At least I would get more time with Carlos. A cloth was slid over my mouth from behind. I went to turn around but everything went black.

When I woke up I was tied to a chair with ropes. They were tight against my wrists and gave no slack when I tried to circulate each wrist. I glanced around the room and figured out I was in a basement. It was dark and I could barely see in front of my face. My legs were strapped to the chair with what felt like some kind of belt or something leather. I took a deep breath and tried to relax. This was it. I had them. I just hoped Carlos had called Detective Barron so he could bust Antonio and Mike red handed.

"How are you feeling?" I heard a low voice from behind me

"I'm okay. It's dark."

I am absolutely confused now. I know that's not Mike or Antonio's voice. Shit!

"I want to get to know you first before you see me. It's what's on the inside that counts." he chuckled

"Well, there is the whole initial attraction thing." I tried to keep things light

"Well if you don't want to chat I can slit your throat or slice you up and get to know your insides that way." I felt a knife at my neck.

"No, that's fine. We can talk." I quickly agreed.

"That's nice." he pulled the knife from my neck.

I heard movement. It sounded like he was pulling a chair in front of me. Not close enough to see more than a shadow the man sat down in front of me. I waited for him to speak first. Something wasn't right. I was trying to remember exactly where I had heard that voice before.

"We met once before you know." he informed me

"Where?" I asked

"A nightclub called Karma. I asked you to dance and you turned me down." he told me

"I'm sorry. I might have been having a bad night." I tried to explain.

"I never forgot you. I watched you all night. You were breathtaking. You were with two guys and they were with two girls. I didn't understand why you were alone." he spoke softly

"That was a weird night. I don't go to clubs like that often." I spoke honestly.

"But you did go back there again. I was about to intercede when your friends did. That Morelli wouldn't be missed if he disappeared tomorrow." the man spoke

I thought it would be rude to agree, but I would never argue with what he had said about Morelli.

"I tried to find someone to replace you, but it was the eyes. I could never find a woman with eyes that matched yours." he admitted

I was straining to try to make out who it was. I remembered the voice. I knew I had heard it before. I was still trying to place him.

"Why would you kill them? Why not just break up like normal couples?" I asked

"I plan on living a very public life. I need an empty closet with no skeletons." he explained

"But then why..." This made no sense.

"We're together now, so we should just focus on the future." he sounded almost happy.

"But I don't even know who you are." I told him

"Your future husband." I could hear the smile that undoubtedly spread across his face.

A light clicked on and my eyes slammed closed. I was slowly blinking trying to open my eyes as they adjusted to the light. When I was finally able to focus I saw the man across from me. His eyes were filled with fear. Carlos was standing across from me with a gun trained on the man. Lester was at my feet working on releasing the belt that had me strapped there.

"Are you okay Beautiful?" Lester asked me

I nodded and then snapped my head towards a noise on the stairs. It was Detective Barron. I sighed and leaned back against my chair. As Lester went to work on the ropes that bound my wrists.

"Are you okay?" Detective Barron asked me

I nodded as a tear slid down my face.

"We got it all. Your friend called me while he was following you." Barron smiled as he brushed Lester aside and cut my hands free.

"I just..."

I fixed my eyes back on the man sitting on the chair across from me with Carlos' gun trained on him. Freaking Dickie Orr.

"I still don't get it." I rubbed my wrists

"There's nothing to get. He's sick. We have video of him loading the bodies of Antonio Delesnaro and Mike Deacon into the back of his truck. We have his confession down here with you." Barron pulled me to my feet

Costanza and Gazzara came down the stairs. Two other uniforms came down before Morelli and then Chief Masella joined them. Carl and Eddie took Dickie, and Carlos was instantly at my side. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me tight against him. I leaned into him and tried to absorb his strength.

"Get her out of here and I will come by to get her statement later." Detective Barron spoke to Carlos

"Let's go." he told me as he ushered me up the stairs.

Lester drove us back to the diner so I could get my car. I was still a little shaken up so I let Carlos drive. We got to the parking lot and I nearly ran to the elevator. As soon as he closed the door behind us he pulled me into his arms. He hugged me so tight I was barely able to breath. He tugged me to the couch and we sat side by side. He adjusted himself long ways across the couch and pulled me between his legs.

"Thank you." I whispered

"I have been in life and death situations. I have had to plan a mission that seemed hopeless. I had to come up with ways to direct soldiers I knew were unfit for their jobs." he took a breath

"But using you as bait to a serial killer was the hardest thing I've ever done."

He wrapped his arms tight around me and I turned to rest on my chin so I could look up at his face.

"You left me no choice you know. There's no way I could have argued with you. There was no time and I saw the determination in your eyes." he told me

"Thank you. You're right. I needed to do this. With your help I am alive and well." I assured him.

He leaned forward and kissed my nose. "Let's not make a habit out of this."

"How did you..." I began

"I followed and called Les to go to the TPD and get your back up. There was no way I was going to risk losing you." he played with my hair

"I need to get new kitchen chairs." I told him as a shiver ran through me.

"Why?" he asked

"He sat in one of them." I told him

"WHAT?" he yelled nearly tossing me off of his chest.

"He was Lester's study buddy. He only met him once. It's not Lester's fault."

He still looked furious. I grabbed his face and gazed into his eyes.

"Lester had no idea." I reminded him

"I'll try to consider that." he smiled

"You saved my life today." I reminded him

"I don't understand how bad luck and trouble come to you like a moth to a flame. You are the most beautiful, amazing and loving woman I know. I just wish that fewer men would take notice." his hands were buried in my hair.

We were laying together my back to his front. I let him hold me for a while. Finally I rolled over and laid on top of him. I buried my face into his neck and nuzzled against him. He massaged my head with one hand and rubbed my back with the other. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. He always smelled so good. I took a deep breath and said the words I had struggled so hard to voice.

"I love you." I whispered to him

"Marry me." I heard him say.

My eyes flew wide open and I pulled my face from his neck. I pulled myself back and looked at his face. I turned my head to the side. I wasn't sure I had heard him right or if he said anything at all. He pulled himself up and I fell back into my seat on the couch. He moved down to one knee on the floor and took my left hand in both of his. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring.

"I have wanted to ask you for a long time. I've had this ring since I enlisted and got my first bonus. I have always known that I wanted you as my wife. I also knew you needed time and of course I would wait until you were comfortable."

I sat there just staring at him. I wasn't sure what to say or do.

"One day I will spoil you but for now let me offer you a small symbol of my love and devotion to you."

I started to speak but he slowly shook his head.

"Every day I watch men around me fall into the darkness. It seems some welcome it. They get these blank faces that don't show any emotion ever. We all have our zones when we need to be focused but it seems so many get stuck in that zone. I am the best at what I do, but I don't ever get stuck in that zone because I have you. Your love fills me with such happiness I am able to stay away from the darkness."

He held the ring out in front of me. It was a platinum band with a diamond solitaire in the center. It was the most beautiful ring I had ever laid eyes on. I didn't know what to say. This man has saved me more times than I could count. He loved me even before I could say it to him. We waited for each other. I missed what he was saying but he had stopped talking and was waiting for my response.

"Sorry I was thinking." I bit my lower lip

He smiled "So what do you think about marrying me?"

"Yes."

He slid the ring onto my finger and kissed it. Then I lost it and jumped into his arms causing him to tumble backwards with me on top. I pulled back to straddle him and rested both hands on his chest.

"I love you." I finally said.

His hands moved up to cup my face. He stared with surprise.

"Say it again." he quietly demanded

"I love you." I repeated

**********************SMUT**************************

He growled before he pulled up and our lips met in the middle. The kiss was hot and frantic. His hands reached around and gripped my ass as he pulled me tight against him. I whimpered in pleasure as my body ached for him. He pulled back and gripped the bottom of my shirt quickly yanking it over my head. I had his off before he could remove my bra. He reached up and stroked his finger around my already hardened nipple. His tongue followed the same path before he took my hard nipple into his mouth. He pulled away with a pop and pulled me to my feet. We lost the rest of our clothes on our way to the bedroom.

I nearly ran ahead of him and jumped into the bed. I landed on my stomach and moved back onto my knees. I felt the bed dip as he moved in behind me. He leaned over me and I turned my head to the side and our lips crashed together. It was hot and primal as our tongues swirled around each other and dipped in and out. He pulled back breathless. We had never done it this way.

"Is this okay? You're on the shot?" he asked

"Yesss" I purred

"I need you Babe" he growled

He leaned back and gripped my hips. He lined his thickness up with my center and slowly slid inside. He stilled while my body adjusted to his size. He began a slow pace sliding in and out of me. He reached around and found my swollen nub with his thick fingers and stroked me. He moved his hard thick muscle inside of me plunging deeper. We were both breathing heavy and letting out little moans of pleasure.

When I felt the wave of pleasure crash over me my body gripped him tight forcing out a moan from deep inside of him. His hands squeezed my hips tighter as I felt my knees get weak.

"I love you." I breathed out.

He stilled and pulled almost all of the way out as he rubbed his hands over my ass.

"Say it again." he demanded

"I love you."

As soon as the last word left my mouth he slammed into me. He pulled almost all of the way out again and gripped my hips.

"Babe"

"I love you Carlos."

He slammed into me hard again. Adding his name seemed to push him over the edge. He pounded into me and I felt a mix of pleasure and pain. The tingles rose from my toes and the fire burned at my core. He drove into me hard and fast. He was pushing in deeper, my words of pleasure urging him on. He wrapped both arms around my waist and pulled me back against his chest.

He was on his knees and I was facing away from him as I straddled his lap. He continued to drive himself into me. His hands massaged my breasts. I leaned my head back against his neck. My hands covered his as I bounced up and down on his lap. He used one hand to turn my chin and took my mouth with his. His other hand slid down my body until he once again had his talented fingers on me. He stroked and rubbed me. I pulled away from the kiss and leaned back against him.

"Yes."

"Oh my God"

Then he rubbed and pinched my swollen nub and I fell apart. He didn't slow his pace as he pushed into me. Again I went over the edge. His constant strokes keeping me there. I screamed out.

"Oh my God. No more. I can't take it."

I heard him whispering Spanish in my ear but I had no idea what he was saying. What I did know is the pain had stopped and a new wave of pleasure was slowly building inside me. He pushed me through one orgasm and then quickly had me moving towards the next. Before I could even come back down he sent my body back up. I felt him grow even harder and his breath caught as he spilled inside of me. I bounced harder as my body milked him.

He let out a deep groan and leaned against me. Our bodies fell forward and he kissed the back of my head before he rolled to the side.

*************END SMUT*****************

"Tell me one more time Babe." he commanded

I curled my body against him and laid my head on his chest.

"I love you " I whispered.

"I love you too Babe."

I closed my eyes and a smile spread across my face as I fell into a deep sleep.

I woke up all wrapped up with Carlos. Sensing that I was awake he rubbed my back and I wrapped my arm around him as my head rested on his chest. Memories of last night swam through my head. Why had I held back so long on just telling him I love him? Once I said it the words had flowed from my lips over and over. Married? He asked me to marry him and I said yes.

"So, we're getting married?" I asked him

"Babe" he kissed the top of my head

"Mmm" I sighed contently.

"Should we get married next weekend?" he asked me

"That's soon." I bit my lower lip

"I only have two weeks. If we get married next weekend we would have a week to honeymoon before I have to report back." he explained

"Do you know how long you'll be gone this time?" I asked

He moved me until my chin was on his chest and my eyes were on his.

"You know that I never know that Steph." he looked thoughtful.

He pushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"I understand Carlos." I forced a smiled

"You can change your mind." he told me

I shook my head. "No, I want to marry you. I won't lie and say it's not hard when you're away, but what we have is worth it."

"I'm not going to re-enlist. When my time is up I want to get out and open a business. I have been tossing ideas around with some guys in my unit. Maybe a bodyguard or security company. Maybe some kind of freelance protection service." he shrugged

"You'll be a success no matter what you do." I assured him

"FBI?" he asked

"Yeah, still need another year or so of experience. I think that's what I want right now, but I do like working for the PD on a case by case basis." I told him.

"You are so talented any place you choose would be lucky to have you." he pulled me tighter against him.

"Thank you." I smiled and moved my body over his.

"Babe"

I had my arm looped through my father's as I took a deep breath. The salt water settling my nerves. I never wanted to get married when I was little. I never pictured it or had the dreams about what it would all be like until I met Carlos. I started picturing us being married on the beach. When I told him that's what I wanted he made it happen.

I was in a simple white wedding dress. It dipped low on my chest with straps that went around my neck. A sparkly gem laid in between my breasts marking where the dip of the fabric ended. It was form fitting until it got to my thighs and then slowly fanned away from my body. It had a short train behind it. There were a few chairs near the arch that was wrapped in flowers and vines. The priest stood in the center as he waited for us. Carlos' parents, Abuela and Lester sat together with Anna and Grandma Juniak. Sal stood on my side and Carlos' friend Tank stood beside him. They were both wearing their dress uniforms. A navy blue colored suit with a matching hat.

When I saw his face a smile overtook me and tears welled in my eyes. He looked at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world. My feet moved on their own. It was everything I could do to contain myself so I wouldn't run down the aisle. When we reached him my father released my arm and handed me off to Carlos. I looked into his eyes and was captivated by the love I saw shining through him. I barely listened as the priest spoke until it was my turn to recite my vows.

 ** _"Carlos, I have known you all of my life. I have to catch my breath to believe this is real, that I am marrying my true love, my heart's desire, and my best friend. Not just for this moment, not for an hour, or day, or year I will always love you. My commitment to you is one I give willingly, absolutely, and without hesitation. I am yours and have been since the moment we met. I stand by you, a rock to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, a pillow to rest your head. I vow never to stop loving you as I do today. To carry the warmth of our love over years through difficult times, up hills and over oceans. Today I affirm my love for you, and vow to share my life with you in everything. To respect and love you. You are the most generous person I have ever known, kind, honest, and beautiful. I promise to challenge you to be everything I know you can be, to never be trapped in despair, to always see in yourself what I see in you, an amazing man, my husband, for whom I will always feel the greatest pride and admiration. I take you to be my husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health from this day forward you shall be first in my heart and our souls shall be together as one."_**

When I finished his eyes were shining with wetness. The priest next turned to him and he cleared his throat before he spoke.

 _ **"Babe, I have been dreaming about this moment since I first laid my eyes on you. I promise you my unconditional love, tenderness, and undying devotion. I will not ask you to be more than you are, and to love you for being you. This day is the best day of my life, it is the day I pledge myself to my best friend, and my love. It is the day we enter together onto a path of marriage, supporting each other in everything. I love you utterly, completely and madly. I love the way you look at me. I love to gaze into your eyes. It is only natural that I should always be with you as your husband. I vow to need you, to say goodnight, to kiss you every day that I am able. At any time, in any place I want only to be by your side. May the ring I give you today remind you all our days of this wonderful moment and the love we feel for each other that will last through all time. As your husband I promise to love you without reservation, to comfort you when times are difficult, to rally with you, to anticipate your needs, to give my all, to work toward our happiness and revel in our good times. What I love most about you is your kindness and compassion, I vow to encourage you to let yourself shine through your dreams and look forward to helping shape our lives together into the adventure that we will take. Your soul shines down on me and I vow to tend to you - to keep your soul bright and to offer love all our lives.**_ ** _I will respect you, honor you, and cherish you as long as we both shall live."_**

We exchanged rings and the priest pronounced us Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Manoso. Carlos pulled me tight against him and our lips met. The kiss was natural, sweet and gentle. I held back the whimper as I felt my body melt into his. His tongue slowly caressed mine and I was lost in him.

"Let her breath." Lester called out

We both laughed and pulled away from each other. Carlos led me back down the aisle and pulled me into another kiss before we got into my car. He drove us to my father's house. We had a small reception where more of our friends came to celebrate with us. Carlos had some more Army friends that I got to meet and I had some friends from College and the police station. We danced, laughed and celebrated with our friends.

Abuela made us a four tier cake. It had alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla cake and the frosting was white with red hearts. We gently fed each other cake. I noticed Sal speak to Carlos. He looked to be giving him a warning. He had nothing to worry about with Carlos. I never doubted his love for me. After a couple of hours we were changed and on our way to our honeymoon. My father had paid for our trip to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. I was so excited to spend alone time with my husband. My husband! Married at twenty-two and no I am not pregnant Burg grapevine. Thank you very much! I have found the man of my dreams and now he is my husband. Life doesn't get much better than this.

***************************THANK YOU***************************

So glad you are back Rangerbabe21! Love your reviews!

I love all of your reviews.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12- Twenty-four years old (PART 1)

Summer time and New Jersey was as hot and humid as ever. Lester and I were hanging out at the beach relaxing on two chairs pulled up to rest in the water. I couldn't ask for a better best friend. We still shared an apartment together. He was working at the Trenton prosecutor's office. I was working freelance as a profiler and investigator. I divided my time between Trenton PD and the FBI field office in Newark.

"How's life Les? We have been ships passing in the night lately with your schedule." I asked

"Sadly enough nothing much in my personal life." he sighed

"Why's that?" I asked

He shrugged. "My job doesn't really lend itself to the playboy lifestyle."

"I'm not sad about that. You deserve someone special." I reached over and patted his hand.

"I have someone special." he squeezed my hand

"Not a best friend." I rolled my eyes.

"Right now there are only two ladies in my life." he assured me

"Two?" I was curious

"You and Mary." he told me

"Who's Mary?" I asked

"My new Sig Sauer with a short reset trigger." he explained

I shook my head as I glanced at him and he wiggled his eyebrows.

"What's on your schedule tomorrow Beautiful?" he asked me

"Tank needs help picking up a high bond. The guy hangs out at a bar mostly alone. But he is brought in surrounded by body guards and they pick him up at the end of the night. He is some drug dealers son. He is wanted for assault, attempted murder, rape and possession." I told him

"And just what are you doing to help?" he asked me

I shrugged. "I basically dress slutty and try to talk him into going outside with me and Tank grabs him. A new buddy of Carlos and Tank named Bobby just finished the discharge process so he will be backing Tank up."

"And who will be backing you up?" Lester asked

"Uhm...you I'm guessing." I shot him a sideways glance.

"Exactly." he affirmed

Carlos was in Philadelphia going through his discharge process but had no leave time and strict curfews. Soon I would have my husband with me every day and night. He had big plans for when he was out. First on the list was to launch the new company. He had money saved up and Tank had been earning money by bringing in high bond FTA's.

"Are you nervous?" Lester asked

"About the job?" I wondered

"No. Nervous about the company. It's a lot of money to invest." he looked at me

"Yes and no." I shrugged

"The only thing that gives me pause is that we will be investing in people we don't know." he explained

"We know Tank. We'll meet Bobby tonight. Then we need to bring in two more." I reminded him

"Do you have anyone?" he asked

"Not really. I think my dad wants in on it. Once we are up and running he will ask the council to secure a contract for us regarding security for major events. So, that's something." I shrugged.

"That's awesome Beautiful." Lester patted my hand. "This is going to work."

The plan was for Tank, Bobby, Lester, Carlos and I to each put in 50k. We would all be equal partners but defer to Carlos as the President in charge of company decisions and daily operation. He would have to meet with the partners to discuss any expenses in excess of 20k. Other than that he would have full run and make all decisions for the company. When Carlos comes home we would hold our first meeting to discuss how to set up a building Tank had purchased on Haywood Street in Trenton just outside of the Burg.

"So, I guess I'm going to have to start looking for a new place." Lester announced

"No. My intention is to propose that we use one floor of the new building for apartments. You know the first year there probably won't be a profit and most likely we will have to throw in more money. So, it's better not to go spending on anything big right now." I informed him

"Carlos is going to love that." Lester chuckled

"It will be fine." I assured him

When we got back from the beach I jumped in the shower. I threw on a t-shirt and sweats while Lester and I ate pizza. After my stomach was full I started the process of looking slutty. I poured myself into a tight black dress I had borrowed from my friend Colleen. The dress covered me if I bent over as long as I held it in place. I made a mental note not to bend over at all. The neckline dipped down in between my breasts. I had the hot rollers working on my curls and began to apply some foundation and blush. I pulled on a pair of four inch FMP's hoping I wouldn't have to do any running tonight. When I came out of the bedroom Lester let out a whistle and looked me up and down.

"Damn Steph! If you weren't married to one of my best friends..." he shook his head

"You would try to feed me all of your cheesy pick-up lines and I would think you were a total douche bag." I laughed "Now stop staring and zip this."

I turned my back to him and he pulled up the zipper. I stepped back and he surveyed the outfit.

"I need more make-up." I told him

"This is so not you it's creepy. Already I want to protect you from the scum that will have their eyes all over you tonight." he shook his head "Thank God Carlos is not here."

"You're a good brother." I teased before I kissed him on the cheek.

I handed him my wedding band and engagement ring. He nodded and placed them in his pocket for safe keeping. I went back to the bedroom and pulled on a robe to finish my make-up. There was a knock on the door and Lester went to check it out. Tank and another man came inside and did all kinds of crazy handshake rituals with Lester. The man with Tank was dark skinned with short hair to match Tanks'. He was smaller than Tank in both height and muscle but had an edge to him that made him just as intimidating as Tank. He saw me and crossed the room to where I stood.

"Bobby Brown." he held out his hand to me

"Stephanie Manoso. Nice to meet you Bobby. I don't normally dress like this." I explained

He chuckled "I'm sure you don't. Wouldn't want to go out to a bar wearing a robe."

"Bobby was in the same unit with Carlos and I. He was the medic on our team and saved quite a few lives." Tank introduced me

"That's great. Oh! A company infirmary. So we can handle small injuries in house." my eyes lit up.

"Exactly." Tank nodded.

"I have a friend who served with me in another unit. I want you all to meet him tomorrow. His name is Vince and he was a sniper MARSOC." he nodded

"MARSOC?" I didn't understand.

"Marine Corps Special Forces Operation Command. Basically the Marine's version of Special forces." Bobby explained.

"Sounds good. Can't wait to meet him." I smiled

"Okay. Let's focus on tonight." Tank began "Our target is Johnny Ortega. Here's a picture."

"Yuk" I said looking at the picture.

The man looked like a sleaze ball. He had black hair and black eyes. His skin was only slightly tanner than my own. In the picture he wore a sneer that made me feel dirty just looking at him. I passed the picture around while Tank made his way to the kitchen table. He spread out a couple of papers while we looked on. I had already gone over Ortega's file and had a plan of my own. Tank talked to Bobby and Lester about the bar and what the plan was. Lester would play a bar patron and be seated near by. Bobby would be at the front door with Tank and I would be wired.

If we pull this off our split of the bond will be 100k. We would each take five and the rest would be invested into our unnamed company. I took the wire from Tank and went into the bathroom to tape it on. I was nervous but secure with my back up. Lester was a damn good shot and he practiced at the gun range every week. Tank and Bobby were Army Rangers. I was in good hands. I pulled off the robe and made sure the wire was secure under one of my breasts.

"Can you see the wire?" I asked spinning around in front of all three men.

"Carlos is a lucky man." Bobby muttered

"Damn." Tank gave out a whistle

"If anything happens to her Carlos will kill all three of us." Lester cautioned.

"Understood." Bobby nodded and Tank smiled.

Tank had recently bought a black SUV for the company. It was outfitted with a special panel on the floor in the back seat to secure someone in leg shackles.

"The truck looks good." I told Tank as he drove

"I made a good contact with a guy who has a car dealership in upstate New York. He used to serve under Carlos and gave me a deal for being his friend." Tank explained

"That's great." I nodded

"This company is looking better and better every day." Bobby announced from the front seat.

"Hell yeah!" Lester agreed

I just smiled. Tank dropped Lester off a block away and then we parked a few blocks from the bar and sat in the SUV together.

"Tell me about you Stephanie." Bobby turned to look at me.

I shrugged "What do you want to know?"

"How did you get involved with all of this?" he asked me

I laughed "You're basically asking me if I can offer more than anything but being Carlos' wife."

"No. I would never question Carlos' decisions." he looked nervous.

"It's okay Bobby." I assured him

"He's worried that you're just another pretty face." Tank chuckled

"You are beyond pretty." Bobby corrected him

"She's the brains." Tank winked at Bobby

"Probably not the first thing people think about me." I giggled

"Yeah well I have my own ideas." Tank shook his head.

"Bobby, I am good at research." I told him

Tank tilted his head back and let out a loud laugh.

"That's putting it mildly." he told Bobby "You are looking at a beautiful mind."

I rolled my eyes.

"She gets these feelings..." Tank shook his head with a look of admiration in his eyes

"Like female intuition?" Bobby asked.

"I call it my Spidey sense." I told him

"Spidey sense?" he laughed

"I always got weird feelings like something was off or just not right. It's grown over time." I shrugged

"She is incredible. She is a profiler. Her mind picks up the smallest details. Things that never would even register on your radar." Tank explained.

"I can't wait to see you in action." Bobby smiled.

Lester was seated at a table watching a game of pool when I came in. I went straight to the bar and ordered a corona. I glanced around the bar but didn't see Ortega. I did see Anthony and Joe Morelli sitting at the end of the bar together. I rolled my eyes. Can't I ever escape this freaking guy? The bar was outside of the Burg and glancing around there was no one else I recognized so I relaxed a little. I glanced up at the TV and noticed they were showing a boxing match. I turned on my stool to survey the room again just as Morelli was approaching me.

"What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this all alone Cupcake?" he flirted

I could smell the alcohol on his breath and saw the glazed look in his eyes.

"Just trying to relax after a long day." I told him as I turned my back to him.

"You look like you could use some company." he slid onto the stool beside me.

"I'm not really in the mood for company tonight." I sighed

"Trouble in paradise? Your rings are gone?" he noticed

"Getting them cleaned." I dismissed him.

"Sure Cupcake." he smirked like he knew a secret.

I turned away from him and saw Ortega come in. His body guards came in with him and did a scan of the room. After a minute he nodded to them and they left. His eyes caught mine and he smiled. I returned his smile and then turned back to Morelli.

"You should probably get back to your brother." I encouraged him.

"You're much prettier to look at." he slurred

I rolled my eyes and turned away from him. I felt him get up and heaved a sigh of relief. Ortega was sitting at the bar. There was one empty stool between us both. I shot him a quick glance and then looked away. I heard the quite music suddenly change to a louder song. I glanced around and saw the jukebox by the pool table. Morelli stood in front of it with a huge smile plastered across his face. It was Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' by Journey.

A girl at the pool table started grinding to the music. while her date was singing into his pool stick. I caught Lester's eyes and he didn't look happy. I turned away and rested my head in my hands.

"Ugh! This is a nightmare." I grumbled

"Are you okay?" Ortega asked me

"Just annoyed." I told him as I took a drink from my bottle.

I looked up and when our eyes connected I smiled at him. He didn't look as slimy in person as he had in his picture, but he was still creepy. I focused on the job and tried to keep all emotions out of it. Carlos told me that was how he got through hard missions. I needed to get Ortega out of here as soon as possible. Don't take any risks and remember Tank, Bobby and Lester all had my back.

"Dance with me Cupcake." Morelli slurred

He put a hand on my shoulder and spun me around to face him.

"No thank you Joe." I spoke calmly

I turned back around and focused on my drink. I could see Ortega from the corner of my eye. He was watching the situation with curiosity. I felt Morelli's hand on my shoulder again as he spun me around. This time my bottle when flying out of my hand and landed on the floor near Ortega. I jumped to my feet and moved closer towards him.

"I am so sorry." I began as I squatted down to get the glass.

I knew my ass was barely covered when I heard both Ortega and Morelli gasp. I stayed down long enough to pick up the bigger pieces of glass. The bartender came out from around the bar.

"No, let me get that." he bent down beside me."Wouldn't want you to get cut."

"Here, let me help you." Ortega offered

I looked up to see his hand extended to me. I took it and let him pull me up. Morelli moved in behind me and grabbed my other arm.

"She's with me." he told Ortega

"Uhm, no I'm not." I corrected him.

"Just come with me sweetie." The bartender offered.

"I've got her Tommy." Ortega told the bartender.

Tommy nodded and went back behind the bar. Ortega pulled my hand as he brought me closer to his side. He was in a staring contest with Morelli and I was stuck in the middle. I glanced over Morelli's shoulder at Lester who had a smirk on his face. Morelli tugged on my arm and I glared at him.

"Is this your boyfriend honey?" Ortega asked me

"No." I answered quickly

"She wants to dance." Morelli told Ortega.

"Sounds good to me." Ortega smiled

He pulled me towards the small dance floor near the pool tables and wrapped an arm around my waist. Morelli was still by the bar with his mouth open. I set a hand on Ortega's shoulder and choked past the bile I felt from his touch. He pressed against me and I pulled back a little.

"Thank you." I whispered to him

"Always happy to help a damsel in distress." he tried to smile but it came across as a sneer.

"She's married." Morelli growled

He was beside us and had his hand on Ortega's shoulder. I tilted back my head and let out a choking sound of frustration.

"Is she married to you?" Ortega asked him

"No, but..." Morelli began

"Then fuck off." Ortega roared

Morelli dropped his hand from Ortega's shoulder. I glanced back and forth between the two men. Morelli was pissed and Ortega was annoyed. I needed Morelli to go away so I can finish this damn job. I can't afford to have Morelli say or do something stupid to put me at risk. He didn't walk away. It must be the alcohol that has him unable to process the fact that both of us have told him to go away. He wasn't going to give up easily.

"I'm a cop. She needs to come with me." Morelli told him

"A cop?" Ortega asked

He looked at Morelli and then back at me. I rolled my eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Morelli,, this has nothing to do with your job. I am not interested in you . I don't want to hurt your feelings. I have tried to tell you nicely in a million different ways. I have tried to ignore you and that didn't work." I took a deep breath. "So, to quote a new friend of mine FUCK OFF!"

"Cupcake..." he looked wounded

Ortega laughed and pulled me with him back to the bar. Morelli didn't follow this time. Ortega ordered us both another drink.

"I am so sorry. I just wanted a night out. I didn't mean to cause any trouble." I explained

"Johnny." he held out his hand

"Stephanie." I introduced myself

"Nice to meet you." he held my hand longer

"Sure it is." I knew my voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Are you kidding me? I got to save you from a drunk cop. Every guy in the room wishes he was me. I am talking to the hottest woman here." he gave me a head nod

"You're crazy." I blushed

"You're married?" he asked

"He doesn't seem to think we are anymore so why should I?" I shrugged and took a drink

"I take it 'he' is not the cop." he stated

"That's right." I agreed

"Well whoever he is, he's an idiot." Ortega tried to console me.

"Thanks." I smiled

I had to come up with something since Morelli spilled the beans. I just wanted to finish this up and get home. I wanted the money. I wanted to buy myself some new shoes and I wanted to focus on plans for the company. I nursed another beer as I listened to Ortega tell me how great he was. The man loved to talk about himself. He told me about all of the property he owned, his boats, his cars and most of his ex-girlfriends were models.

"Yeah, I've always had to beat away ladies with a stick. I'm like the pied piper of chicks." he laughed

I laughed along with him. I forced a smile and resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I would never get back the last five minutes of my life I had wasted listening to him. It was time to wrap this up.

"So..." I used what I considered my best sexy voice. "You think the women follow you or your pipe?"

His eyes shot open wide and then a smile slowly spread across his face. He put his hand on my knee and slowly slid it up. I laid my hand on top of his to stop him from going underneath the material.

"Lady in the streets?" he asked

"Freak in the sheets." I winked my confirmation.

He spun my seat towards him and put a hand on each knee. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I knew it was Lester. I needed to get this guy out of here and get his hands off of me. I leaned in close and pressed my hands onto his thighs.

"Let's get out of here." I whispered against his ear.

"Your place or mine?" he got onto his feet.

"We'll decide after we have some fun in the car." I teased

He pulled me to my feet and dragged me in tight against him. I closed my eyes and tried to ignore my stomach. I had been nauseous since Ortega first put a hand on me. I turned my head fast to avoid his kiss.

"We need to get out of here." I whispered in his ear. "I want to be alone with you."

"Lead the way honey." he stepped back

I moved past him and smiled knowing this would soon be over. I jumped and stifled a shriek when I felt his hand slap my ass. I reached back for his hand and pulled him along with me. We had barely cleared the door when I was pulled away from Ortega. Bobby tugged my hand until I was behind him and Tank was on Ortega. Tank had him slammed against the wall and was cuffing him.

"What's going on?" I asked

"Bond Enforcement." Tank announced. "Johnny Ortega you missed your court appearance. We have papers allowing us to apprehend you and bring you to the police."

"Johnny?" I played stupid

"It's no big deal honey. Take my phone out of my front pocket and add your name. I will call you when I'm out." he winked

"I don't know..." I began

"Come on lover boy." Tank laughed as he pulled him away.

Lester was at my side the second Bobby left it. Bobby went with Tank and they left together to take Ortega to the police station to turn him over in exchange for our body receipt

"Why'd you play stupid at the end? I thought for sure you would want to kick his ass for putting his hands on you?" Lester was confused.

"What if we have to do another distraction in this place and he walks in? Or any place and he walks in?" I suggested

"Ahhh" Lester nodded

Suddenly a strange look passed over his face. "This isn't going to work Beautiful."

"What? Why?" I was confused

"Carlos is the brains. Tank is the brawn, Bobby is the medic. I'm the charmer and you're the beauty." he winked

"What?" I laughed

"Yeah. You're supposed to be beauty. You keep thinking like you do and Carlos will be out of a job." Lester thought for a second

"That might not be bad because then I can be both charming and beautiful." he laughed

"Cupcake!" I heard Joe's voice.

I looked up just as he crashed into me. I was on my back and he was on top of me. I struggled to roll him off of me. He grabbed my wrists and pressed them into the pavement. Then he was gone. I glanced up and Lester had him against the wall. I got onto my feet and put my hand on Lester's shoulder.

"He's an ass but he's still a cop." I warned him

"Listen, cop or not you will keep your hands off of Stephanie. Do you understand me?" he was asking Morelli.

"I've known her my whole life. You don't mean anything to her. You're not from around here. If she is leaving her husband it would be for me and not for someone like you." Morelli slurred

We were all locked together. I had my hand on Lester's shoulder. Lester had Morelli by the collar and Morelli had a hold on Lester's hand.

"What's going on here?" a man asked as he exited the bar.

This seemed to break the spell. Lester released Morelli who slouched back against the wall. Lester took my hand and pulled me behind him as he stepped back. The man looked back and forth between Lester and Morelli. He was confused as he tried to take in the situation. His eyes finally settled on me and he took a step towards me.

"Are you okay?" he asked

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern." I told him

He watched me for a few seconds. He had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He was taller than both Morelli and Lester. I shot him a smile and he seemed to relax. He nodded to me and turned to walk to the lot.

"How many times do you have to be told? She doesn't want you and nothing is going to change that ever." Lester told Morelli

"But...maybe...there could be something with us." Morelli slurred

"No Morelli. There is no maybe. There was never an us and there never will be an us. I can't even be your friend because I don't trust you." I pulled Lester's hand.

"Come on Beautiful." Lester nodded and pulled me to his car.

"How'd you get your car here?" I asked him as I buckled up

"Left it here earlier and ubered back to the apartment before Tank came." he shrugged.

He handed me back my rings before he pulled out of the lot and I quickly slid them back onto my finger. I missed the weight on my hand without them. I leaned back into the seat and realized how much I missed Carlos. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that it won't be too much longer.

I couldn't wait to get out of the dress and make-up and jumped into the shower the second we got back. I threw on my usual tank top and pajama pants before coming out into the living room. Lester was just opening the door for Tank and Bobby. Lester handed them a couple of beers and I got a bottle of water. I sat down onto the couch and picked up a notebook and pen from the coffee table. Tank sat beside me and Lester and Bobby dropped into the two recliners.

"With future distractions we need to have our own bartender." I told them as I made notes.

"Why?" Lester asked

"I can't risk getting drunk or having something put into my drink." I told him

"Oh shit Beautiful! I didn't even think." Lester slapped his palm into his forehead.

"What?" Bobby asked

"I had someone drug my drink before, the bartender was in on it." I explained

"Wow." Bobby was surprised

"That's why I ordered beer from a bottle tonight. I could watch it be opened." I told them all.

"Brains." Tank winked at Bobby

"Lester did good tonight in thinking to drop off his car before we went. But, it may look suspicious in the future if it's there too early. We need to think about ways to have a back-up vehicle always near by." I chewed on the tip of my pen.

"We need more people." Lester told them

"We're not there yet Santos. We're not even a real company yet. This is just FTA work." Tank reminded him

"I know." he rolled his eyes "Just want to make sure she is safe if this is going to happen again."

"I would never put Carlos' wife in danger." Tank seemed to be getting aggravated

"You did just by letting her come." Lester accused

"Wait one damn second." I shot Lester a glare.

The room was silent with all eyes on me.

"No one LET me do anything. I will be a part of this company just like the rest of you. I know none of you would ever purposely put me in danger." I let my voice rise.

Everyone nodded all at once.

"I am trying to use this time to smooth out all of the wrinkles. We're going to spot our mistakes and figure out better ways to deal with things all of the time. Everything went great tonight. I am just making some notes for the future." I shot them both looks that shut them up

"You're right Stephanie. If this is going to work we need to have these little meetings to figure out better ways to handle things. Even when everything goes well there's still something to learn." Bobby nodded

"Thank you." I smiled at him

"Now who is this Morelli guy?" he asked

I groaned as I dropped my head back and stared at the ceiling They were all silent as they waited for me to speak.

"He's not a big deal." I rolled my eyes

"I beg to differ." Les argued

"We are your partners now Stephanie." Tank reminded me

"Full disclosure?" I asked

"Nothing less." Bobby told me.

"I have known him all of my life. We've had our ups and downs." I started

"You dated him?" Bobby interrupted

"NO!" I nearly yelled

"Just friends with benefits?" Tank asked

"Really? Does it always have to be about sex?" I asked

"YES!" Bobby and Tank spoke in unison

"No sex! No sex with Morelli ever." I told them

"He roofied her drink." Lester told them

"When?" Tank asked

"A few years ago." I brushed it off

"Why isn't he in jail?" Bobby asked

"He knew the judge and his idiot brother took the rap." Lester explained

"And Carlos didn't kill him?" Tank asked

"Oh believe me he wanted to." Lester told them

"Anyway." I interrupted "It started off as some stupid high school list."

"He was plowing the the virgins of his high school and she was supposed to be number fifty." Lester told them

"You've got to be kidding me." Bobby shook his head

"Why have I never heard this story?" Tank asked

"Ugh! Look, he's been a pain in my ass all of my life. We were able to be friends for a short time but it always comes back to him thinking we can be together." I was frustrated

"Okay, so we need to be aware of him." Bobby nodded

"He's never to be trusted alone with her." Lester agreed

"I'm not a child." I reminded Lester

"Just trying to watch out for you Beautiful." Lester leaned over and patted my hand.

"Thank you. Just remember he is a cop." I warned them.

"And he messed with your drink?" Tank was surprised.

"Like Les explained his brother took the rap. Morelli got community service for knowing about it and not stopping it." I explained

"Any other guys we should know about?" Bobby asked

"Dickie Orr, but he's in jail." Lester told them.

As he began to tell them the story of Dickie Orr I could feel my eyes closing. I moved around as I fought the exhaustion but sleep overtook me some time during the conversation. I jumped when I heard loud knocking. I glanced around the room. I was in my bed and I could see sunlight streaming through the shade covering my window. I made my way to the bedroom door and flung it open to see Lester answering the front door in his shorts. He turned around with a bouquet of blue flowers in his arms. I crossed the room and took the flowers from him.

"I made coffee." Lester moved past me into the kitchen

"Sorry I fell asleep on every one last night." I sat down at the kitchen table.

"Don't worry about it Beautiful." he kissed the top of my head and set a cup of coffee in front of me.

"These are beautiful." I smelled the flowers

I looked through the bouquet in search of the card. I found a note from the florist first. It told me about the various flowers included in the bouquet. It held cornflower, empire blue butterfly bush, blue delphiniums, brunnera, periwinkle, and morning glory.

"What did Carlos write?" Lester yawned

"I haven't found the card yet. I was reading about all of the flowers." I explained.

"They are unusual." he agreed

Lester got to his feet and walked around the table. He carefully moved around the flowers until he found an envelope. He turned it over in his hand. There was no writing on the outside. He shrugged and dropped it onto the table in front of me. I brought it with me to the kitchen counter. I found a vase under the sink and filed it with water. Once I got rid of the wrapping I spread the flowers around until I was happy with how they looked. I leaned down to sniff them and felt a smile spread across my face as I opened the envelope. I leaned forward with my forearms on the counter as I began to read the typed note.

 _I have never seen anyone as beautiful as you_  
 _I have never had anyone with eyes so blue_  
 _Never another woman I wanted so badly to screw_  
 _Never such sweet skin I wanted to turn black and blue_  
 _When I get my hands on you I know just what to do_  
 _Trust me my sweet I will follow through  
Something for you to look forward to  
_

I gasped and pulled away from the counter. When I did the vase flew off and crashed down onto the floor. Glass went everywhere. I moaned out as I felt glass pierce my skin.

"STEPHANIE!" Lester hollered as he jumped to his feet.

"Stop! Don't come over here." I yelled at him.

"Don't move Beautiful. Let me get my shoes." he held up his hand

I watched Lester move towards the door to pick up his shoes he had left beside it. There was a knock at the door. I heard Lester open the drawer on the sideboard where he kept his gun. Then the door burst open and there were loud deep voices.

"You going to shoot me?" Tank laughed

"This isn't the way I wanted you to meet." Bobby chuckled

"Get in here and shut the fuck up." Lester hissed

I watched to see who would appear by the entrance to the kitchen. I still hadn't moved my feet and had tried to ignore the blood pooling around me.

"What the hell is going on?" Tank asked

Bobby and another man moved up beside him. Their eyes opened wide as they stared at me. Tank immediately walked through the glass and picked me up. As soon as we were out of the kitchen he kicked off his boots and carried me the rest of the way to the bathroom. He sat me down on the closed toilet and spread a towel out on the floor.

"Let me see." Bobby demanded

Tank moved out of the tiny room so Bobby could move in. Bobby began to inspect my feet as Tank stayed in the doorway.

"I need a first aid kit." Bobby told him

"I have one in the truck." Tank nodded

He left the doorway. I dropped my head into my hands. I felt tears streaming down my face and I didn't want Bobby to see me cry. That really wasn't the impression I wanted to make on a guy who might still think I am only around because I am Carlos' wife. He didn't speak and I quickly got control of myself.

"I'm sorry I am so clumsy." I tried to explain "I'm upset because it hurts."

He nodded and lifted me up from the seat. He sat me down on the edge of the bathtub and knelt beside me. Tank came back into the room and he was clearly out of breath. Bobby took the first aid kit and waved him away. He moved some items around until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out some tweezers and slowly started pulling out thick pieces of glass. I winced and bit into my lip. He turned each foot from side to side as he inspected them. He washed his hands and then handed me a fresh wash cloth.

"Bite down." he instructed

I gave him a confused look but did as he asked. He turned his back to me and bent over the first aid kit again. When he turned back around I saw he had a bottle of rubbing alcohol in his hand. I opened my mouth to argue just as he poured the cold liquid over my feet. I bit down hard into the towel to stifle my scream. I laid my head sideways into the cold tile as the pain subsided. I felt the cold tweezers on me again as he dug out more pieces of glass. He poured on the alcohol again and inspected me once more before he nodded.

He lifted me up and carried me into the living room. He sat me down on the couch and laid a towel on the coffee table. He set my feet on top of the towel ad waked away. I leaned back against the couch and rested my arm over my eyes. I heard him come back and looked to see Tank and Lester had joined me and were sitting in the recliners. Bobby sat down on the coffee table and started to put some antibiotic cream all over the cuts and scrapes. He put some padded gauze around the worst cuts and wrapped each foot with a roll of gauze.

"So, anyone want to tell me what the fuck happened?" Bobby asked when he returned from washing his hands.

"Explain it to me too while you're at it." Carlos stood in the doorway

"Carlos." I called to him

I moved to get up but he was at my side before my foot could hit the ground. He took my hand in his and then reached up to stroke my face. I knew he could see that I was red and blotchy from crying. Lester got up and closed the door.

"Carlos..." Lester began

Carlos shot his friend a look that immediately silenced him.

"It's no big deal. I was clumsy. I spilled a vase of flowers. The vase was thick glass and when it broke it was awful. I got some glass in my feet and Bobby helped me." I explained

Carlos turned to Bobby and nodded. Carlos turned to Tank next.

"Bobby and I came in and she was in the kitchen surrounded by glass. I picked her up and carried her to the bathroom and Bobby cleaned her up." Tank told him

Carlos turned to Lester next. Lester slowly walked towards us but didn't speak. He took his seat in the recliner again and let out a deep breath.

"Clumsy combined with being upset or scared." Lester told him

"Why were you upset or scared Babe?" he asked me

I laid my head back and sighed. "It's no big deal. I was just surprised."

"By what?" he asked me

"The flowers. I thought they were form you." I told him

Instead of asking more questions Carlos got up to look for himself. I heard his feet move across the glass in the kitchen. It seemed like forever until he returned. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number before putting it to his ear.

"Yo. What's your ETA?" he asked

"Good when you get here stop at the super's office and borrow a wet vac." Carlos said before clicking his phone shut.

He held up the card and passed it to Lester. Lester did an intake of breath and then went to pass it back. Carlos motioned his head for Lester to pass it to Bobby. Bobby got a disgusted look on his face before passing it to Tank. Tank shook his head as he read it and then handed the card back to Carlos.

"Babe" Carlos sighed

"I wasn't hiding it. I just...well yeah okay I was hiding it but not forever. Just for now. I didn't want to deal with it." I confessed

"I will deal with it." Carlos assured me

"It was from Lazario's Florist. I remember the name on the delivery kid's shirt. I'll call." Lester jumped to his feet.

There was a knock on the door. Bobby moved first and opened the door. He stepped back and a man came in carrying a wet vac. His skin was Mediterranean looking. He had brown hair and brown eyes. His muscles were bigger than Bobby's but he wasn't as built as Tank or Carlos. He smiled as he did a one handed shake and man hug with Bobby. Bobby turned to look at us wearing a big smile.

"This is my friend Vince." he introduced the man.

"Hi." I greeted him

Tank nodded and Carlos was now inspecting the bandages on my feet.

"Nothing serious on the bottom. I would like to put a couple of stitches in two or three that are a little deep." Bobby explained

"Let's take her to the hospital." Tank suggested

"No." I quickly told him

"She doesn't like hospitals. Brown can stitch her up once he gets the proper supplies." Carlos told him.

"I have a bag back at the apartment." Bobby nodded

He jumped to his feet and Tank joined him.

"I'll drive." Tank suggested

***************************SORRY**********

I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer so I decided to do a part one and two of them being twenty-four years old.

I am so sorry this took so long to get out. You know it's never my intention to go more than 5 days without an update. I had a carnival t celebrate the 10 year anniversary of my martial arts school being open. I also had the police come out to do free ID kits and I even spent an hour in a dunk tank. I promise to work on getting the rest of my story out there as quickly as possible. Just remember while I do have some notes and ideas I write as I go, as I feel it.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13- Twenty Four Years old (Part two)

We couldn't turn up any leads on the person who sent me the flowers, but at Carlos' insistence I made sure Detective Barron was aware of the situation. With Carlos finally home for good, things were moving fast for our little company. Lester went over the bond apprehension laws for New Jersey with the guys to make sure they all understood how to handle things. Bobby was charged with over seeing the construction going on inside the newly purchased building. Carlos had received help from my father in expediting the applications for all five men to receive their concealed carry licenses.

Carlos, Bobby, Lester, Tank and I were all now partners along with my dad. We had Vince as our first official hire. The guys were spreading word through their military contacts looking for more guys. The Bounty Hunter business was going well for us and bringing in great money. We still hadn't picked out a name, but Carlos assured everyone we would know it before we opened our doors.

I had no big cases going on at the moment. I was spending time researching for the Trenton PD twice a week and reviewing cold cases with the FBI office once a week. I was excited when Carlos presented us with a new high risk bond. The money would be another big step in launching our company. This bond was for a gang member. He was with the Slayers and wanted for four charges of rape and three counts of aggravated assault as well as one count of first degree murder.

"I'll never understand how he got out on bail." Lester shook his head

"The system doesn't always work I guess." I teased him as he rolled his eyes.

"What gang banger has that kind of money?" Vince was curious.

"The Slayers are just coming to Trenton. They have a big population in California and Florida." Tank explained

"What's our cut?" Bobby asked

"$100k." Carlos announced

"Wow." Tank let out a whistle

"We need this." Lester nodded

"It would be a big boost for the company." Tank nodded

"And a chance to get our name out on the streets." Carlos nodded

"What's the plan?" I asked

"There is a bar called Lil Tommy's. It's a Slayer hang out. I have been checking it out and seems he shows up Thursday and Friday nights every week." Vince informed them.

"A distraction?" I nodded

"Babe" Carlos shot me a sideways glance

"It's the best way." I assured him

"She's right." Tank agreed

"How do we get a bartender into that bar?" Lester asked

"She'll have to go for the Coronas again. We haven't established ourselves enough yet to encourage owners to allow us to do that." Tank explained.

"What's the name?" I asked

"Anton Ward" Lester read from the paper

"When do we go?" I asked

Carlos heaved out a big sigh and then relented and nodded his head.

"Let's get it over with as soon as possible." Lester suggested

"Tomorrow is Thursday." I offered

"Tomorrow it is." Carlos nodded

"We're going to be spread thin. There are front and back doors. There is also a basement with a side entrance." Tank explained

"Plan?" Bobby asked

"You and Lester front door. Tank and I back door. Vince on the side door." Carlos explained.

"No one inside?" Lester asked

"Inside man could get stuck in the crowd. We will have a mic on her so we can get to her if we hear any problem." Tank explained

"We need more staff." Carlos shook his head

"We could put an ad in the paper." I teased

"Hell no." Bobby smiled

"No?" Vince asked

"Referrals or hand picked guys only." Carlos stated

We went our separate ways after the guys got their plan together. Carlos and I went back to the apartment with Lester. I was sure Carlos was not thrilled to share our place with Les but it made sense to conserve money for the business. Tank was sharing his small place with Vince and Bobby. They had set up two sets of bunk beds in the one bedroom apartment. When Carlos and I were alone in bed that night he expressed his concerns.

"I hate using you as bait." he sighed

He pulled me tight against him and I rested my head on his chest.

"It needs to be done. While I love you I feel the need to remind you that I am trained." I stated

"It's not your skills. It's like being the best driver in the world. You can only control so much. You can't account for road conditions or other drivers." he tried to explain

"I understand, but I trust my back up." I tried to assure him.

"I still don't like it and I'll still worry." he kissed the top of my head.

"I worry about you too you know." I turned to look up at him.

"I am cocky enough to not worry about myself." he winked

"Just don't stop caring about yourself by putting me above you." I warned

"You're always going to be first Babe. I can't change that." he pulled me tighter against him.

I began to move my hand that was resting on his chest. I felt the toned muscle of his broad chest before moving my hand down lower.

***************************SMUT***********************

I heard Carlos gasp as my hand slid to his abs. I rubbed circles around his tight and muscular abdomen. As I moved it I counted and felt eight separate protruding muscles. He was taking deep breaths with a whisper of a moan on each exhale. I had complete access because he always slept in the nude. I moved my hand lower and to the side. I outlined the V shape that connected to his thigh. I slid my hand down to massage his thigh and he gave out a louder moan. Finally I moved my hand to the exact place I knew he wanted me to touch. I didn't start gentle. I gripped his hard thick muscle and applied pressure.

"Ahh" he whispered

I slowly moved my hand up and down his hard shaft. He kept one arm wrapped around me as the other reached across his body. He placed his hand on my breast over my tank top and gently massaged me. I was eager to feel him inside of me and my body was more than ready to receive him. I was done with the foreplay and anxious to get to the main event. I let go of him and took off my shorts. I moved to straddle him and watched to see his eyes grown wide. I wasn't usually the one to take control but tonight I needed it. I moved my hips back and forth. I was teasing him as I rubbed against his hardness. He reached out and tugged my tank over my head.

"Mmm" I moaned when he his hands moved to gently massage both breasts as his thumb teased my hardened nipples. It had been over a month since we had been intimate and all I could think about was him being inside me. I moved my body up and arched my back. I slowly slid down and he pushed up. I moved slowly torturing us both. Each inch of him slid inside my hot core. We both moaned out.

"Carlos wait." I stopped him "I don't want Les to hear."

"Not a problem." he growled

He reached up and grabbed the back of my neck. He pulled me down until our lips met. He held my head there and kissed me. My tongue pushed into his mouth and our kiss deepened. His other hand moved to my lower back and he held me tight to him. I ground myself against him, enjoying the pressure from his pelvic bone. It didn't take long for me to go flying over the edge. He kept our lips pressed tight together as I moaned into his mouth. I rocked back and forth to extend my pleasure. It felt so good. I wanted to throw my head back. I wanted to scream out. Instead I allowed my moans to be captured by his mouth and strong lips. My body shuddered as the pleasure pulsated through my center. Carlos grabbed the back of my hair and pulled me away from the kiss. I opened my eyes to look into his.

"Damn I've missed you" he told me

"I missed you so much." I purred

I felt the tingle and the fire and my body was begging for release again. I controlled the pace that would bring me over the edge for the second time. I was so close to my second Carlos induced orgasm my body was aching for the next release. Damn, I was a lucky woman. What were those women on TV and in the movies complaining about? My husband was always amazing. He always put me first. The only time I was disappointed in my sex life was when he was away.

"Carlos." I hissed out the s.

"Let go Babe." he ordered

"Yes." I moaned

My moans became louder. He pulled me back down to his mouth and swallowed my screams. He groaned and pushed his body up driving himself in deeper. I exploded. I tried to pull my mouth away to scream out but he held me tight to him. He pressed down hard on my lower back and drove up into me harder. His fast and deep motions only prolonged my pleasure. He released my head and used both hands to hold me tight to him. I couldn't even concentrate on the kiss any more. I knew my moans of pleasure were getting louder as I felt yet another release building. I wondered for a second how this was possible. My friends complained about trying to have one orgasm before their man finished. Here I was about to be rocked with my third.

"Fuck" he groaned out

"Oh my God yes." I breathed out.

I placed open mouth kisses on his neck. By the time I got to his shoulder I lost all control. He relentlessly pounded into me as my body throbbed. I felt my core tighten and squeeze his length. He thrust us both into a shattering release. I bit down on his shoulder and he growled as he exploded inside me. I could feel the hot liquid shoot inside of me with each thrust as he slowed his movements. I ground against him and he thrust up into me as my body continued to milk his thick member. We were both breathing heavy as our bodies slowed until we were still. We remained locked together as his hands stroked up and down my back.

"You have no idea how much I love you." I told him in a hoarse whisper

"Not half as much as I love you." he responded

I rested the entire weight of my body against him. I sighed out in pleasure as a smile spread across my face. I tightened my muscles with his shaft still inside me.

"Playing with fire." he warned

"My body already feels like I am on fire." I explained

"You are so warm." he moved inside me and I moaned.

**********************************END SMUT*******************************

"I can't believe you freaking bit me." he chuckled

"I'm sorry." I laughed not at all sorry.

He pulled my hair gently lifting my head away from his chest. Our eyes met and he kissed my lips once, twice, three times before he gently pulled me off of him. I got up and took my sore body across the room to use the bathroom.

"Moving a little slow there Babe." he teased

"It's your fault." I smiled and he laughed

"Damn Babe you ruined me." he exhaled

"I ruined you?" I laughed and closed the door to take care of my business.

"Come here." he called me back to him as soon as I emerged from the door.

I quickly crossed the room and slid in beside him. He pulled me tight up against him and I wrapped my arm across his chest. He wrapped an arm around me and placed his free hand over mine.

"Tell me how I ruined you." I ordered

"Babe."

"Well?" I waited

"Being around all of these guys all the time." he began "They talk."

"What do they talk about?" I questioned

"The usual guy stuff and..." he trailed off

"And?" I asked

"So many of these guys are either doing the one night stands or cheating on their wives and girlfriends. They all want to blame it on the military life." I could feel him shaking his head.

"Do you uhm...do you wish you had sowed your oats?" I squeezed my eyes closed tightly.

"Not for one second." he kissed the top of my head.

"You don't ever wish you had more partners? More experience so you would know just exactly how I have ruined you?" I tried to tease.

"I am quite sure my men and even some friends wouldn't believe me if I told them I have only been with one woman." he announced

"Me being with only you is acceptable?" I questioned

He shrugged "We just both realized we didn't need to experiment when we had perfection already." he explained.

I sighed

"Babe?"

"What if one day you wonder what you might be missing?" I asked

"Greener grass?" he asked as I nodded

"There's a saying about that." he paused "You may think the grass is greener on the other side but if you take the time to water your own grass it would be just as green."

"I am said grass?" I asked

He kissed the top of my head again.

"I plan to spend the rest of our lives taking care of my lawn. Making sure it receives sunlight, fresh soil and water. I don't even need to glance over the fence for inspiration. I know I have the best yard with the greenest grass." he teased

"I don't know what's weirder. You describing me as grass or me feeling all mushy about it." I smiled

"I love you." I felt his soft chuckle

I was all dressed up and ready to go. Instead of a sexy dress I was wearing a sexy denim skirt and a simple tank top. Underrated sexy seemed to be the proper wardrobe for the evening for a gang banger bar. I had decided right then that I would make sure there was a wardrobe budget added to the final company plans. Carlos wanted our entire team to always be outfitted in black. This would make us look more uniform and professional. Much like the military.

I certainly wouldn't wear any type of military uniform into the bar. But I also would never wear this denim skirt in my day to day life. It barely covered my ass but was perfect for a distraction job. Everyone was in position as I entered the bar. I won't lie and say I wasn't nervous about no inside guy. I was trying to build up my own courage.

I am well trained. My husband was the first to train me in using a gun and taught me self-defense. I passed the FBI's crazy hard training program. I also had to remind myself that I was wearing a wire and could easily call for help. I know my husband would rather me be safe than catch the skip. There is a part of me that wants to prove myself to the other guys. I sat down at the bar and waited for the bartender.

The bartender was bent over doing something under the bar. When he stood up he looked up at me and froze. He stared as me as if he knew me. He walked slowly as he got closer to me and leaned on the bar. Another second of silence before he shook his head like he was trying to wake himself up or regain his composure.

"What can I get you?" he asked

"Corona please." I smiled

"What's a skinny white girl like you doing in a place like this?" he asked me as he brought back my drink.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Looked like a fun place."

When he didn't respond I spoke again. "What's a nice guy like you doing here?"

"Nice guy?" he asked

"Sure." I smiled "You seem nice to me."

"Not something I have ever been accused of." the ends of his mouth slightly tipped up.

"Just be careful Angelito. Watch your back here. " he warned me

I looked up into his face. He had two tear drop tattoos under his eye. He had dark chocolate eyes and short brown hair that was buzzed on the sides. He was muscular but not as big as my Carlos. He was shorter and had a narrow waist. He looked really freaking scary but he was really nice to me. It was an interesting contradiction. I know I should fear him but instead I was drawn to him. He made me smile and he looked like he needed a hug.

"Hey Sexy. Let me buy you a drink." a guy moved up next to me.

"No thanks." I told him

"Bitch, I didn't want to hang out with you anyway whore." he said before walking away.

The bartender was over the bar quicker than I could blink. He grabbed the guy by the back of his shirt and spun him around. He whispered something and I watched as the guy in his hands pissed his pants. He carried the guy to the front door and tossed him out. He brushed his hands together like he was wiping something off and then headed back behind the bar to grab a mop. He mopped up the mess and then disappeared into a back room.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Gang bangers were just as bad as the guidos at the shore. Tell them yes and you are awesome. Tell them no and there is something wrong with you. It's never acceptable for a women not to be attracted to you or just not be in the mood for company I guess. What was up with that bartender though? I appreciated his response but it seemed just a little bit over the top. I looked up at the mirror in front of me and scanned the room. The door opened and in walked Ward. He had a red bandanna hanging out of his front jeans pocket. He was surrounded by other guys with the same bandannas.

I took a deep breath and spun around on my chair. I crossed my legs and leaned back against the bar. I nursed my drink as I surveyed the room. I watched Ward walk around greeting his friends with fist bumps. He was presented with a beer and then cast his eyes around the bar. His attention finally settled on me. He smiled at me and I returned it. He motioned with his head for me to come to him. I decided it was important to feed his ego so I got onto my feet and walked over to where he stood.

"You looking for something new tonight pretty baby?" he asked me

I shrugged. "What did you have in mind?"

"Oh baby I could rock your world." he looked me up and down.

"I'm not convinced." I took a step away from him.

"Oh really?" he looked surprised.

I was debating on how to play this. Do I walk back to the bar and hope he chases me? Do I just keep the flirting going until I can get him outside? I needed to figure out how to handle him. I glanced around like I was looking to see if there was anything better and then settled my eyes back on him.

"You'll do." I kept my face blank

"I'll do?" he laughed "Little white girl looking to walk on the wild side for the night."

"Maybe" I stayed non-committal

"I can guarantee a night with me would be beyond any wild dream you ever had. I'm willing to make sure you have a real good time pretty baby." he smirked

"Big talker." I returned his smirk

"I'm all about the action pretty baby." he took a step towards me

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me tightly against him. Yuk! He smelled like alcohol and cigarettes and like he needed a shower. He pulled me closer and I buried my head into his neck to avoid the chance of him kissing me. I gave him a fake moan and wiggled my body to try to convince him that I was interested. He moved a hand down and cupped my ass. He squeezed hard and I gasped.

"Not here" I tried to sound sexy

"Let's go to my truck Baby. The back seats lay down like a bed." he wiggled his eyebrows.

I nodded and moaned as he steered me away from his friends. As I noticed us heading towards the back door I remembered I needed to announce it so the guys would hear through the wire and know where to expect him. Instead of pressing his hand to the small of my back like Carlos would do he swatted my ass to push me forward.

"Va a doblar esta perra mas" he yelled back to his friends "Volvere cuando ella este rota." (Going to bend this bitch over) (I will be back when she's broken)

His friends all laughed at whatever he had told them. I wasn't surprised to hear him speak Spanish. Most of the gangs in Trenton were well versed in Spanish. This prevented anyone using the language to surprise another gang.

"The back door?" I asked as he moved me forward.

"I could hit that too." he chuckled as he slapped my ass again

Ugh! No butt stuff! I tried not to sigh. I focused on the few more steps it would take before we hit the back door. I kept focusing on the fact that Tank and Carlos were waiting just outside that door for us. Just a few more steps and my guys would have Ward. We were less than six feet from the door when he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into a small room. He slammed the door behind us and both arms locked around my waist as he cupped both of my cheeks in his hands.

"No" I yelled

I put my hands against his shoulders and pushed him slightly. I was hesitant to use any stronger moves that may hurt this young punk. As I struggled with him I remembered he had several rape charges against him. I stacked two fingers and tapped his jugular notch. He gave out a gag and grabbed at his neck. I didn't hit him hard enough for any real damage. It was only to stun. I went to move around him to escape when I felt his fist connect with my cheek. No matter how much you know or how well you are trained you typically can do nothing against a sucker punch. I went down.

I reached out and punched him right between the legs. He let out a groan, grabbed at his crotch and bent over. Suddenly there was light and I blinked my eyes to see. It was the bartender. He looked murderous. He grabbed Ward out of the small cleaning closet and held him in the air. He pulled back and slammed his fist into Ward's temple. Anton Ward would be on the ground if the bartender hadn't been holding him up.

The man glanced at me and suddenly tossed Ward out of the room and onto the floor. He crouched in front of me and brought the back of his hand up to brush my cheek. When I winced in pain he froze. His eyes were sad and his expression pained.

"Angelito." he whispered

There was yelling and loud voices. I could hear my husband. Gun out and pointed at the bartender.

"WAIT!" I yelled as Carlos froze.

The man never turned around to see he was in danger. His eyes didn't leave mine. I covered his hand with mine. When I moved to get to my feet he reached a hand under each arm pit and pulled me to my feet. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. Before I could protest he pulled away and gave me a smile.

"What's going on Babe?" Carlos asked calmly

"This man saved me. He helped me." I explained

"Carlos Manoso." He held out his hand to the man

"Hector Alvarez" the bartender shook Carlos' hand

"Thank you." my husband nodded to the man

"De nada." Hector told him (you're welcome)

I moved around the men to escape the claustrophobic feeling of the small room. I watched Bobby and Vince cuff Ward and quietly lead him out the back door. Hector closed the door and stood taking in my appearance. His eyes went to my cheek and he slowly shook his head.

"Un hombre nunca debe poner las manos sobre una mujer." Hector said softly. (A man should never put hands on a woman.)

"Como se conoce Estephania?" Carlos asked him (How do you know Stephanie)

"En orta vita." Hector answered him (In another life)

"Tus marcas?" Carlos questioned the man (your marks)

"Los dos hombres que mataron y mataron a mi hermana." Hector sounded barely in control of his words (The two men who raped and murdered my sister)

"Como te siento por tu peridia." Ranger nodded (I'm sorry for your loss)

"English?" I finally asked

"Sorry Babe" Carlos wrapped his arm around my waist

Bobby came in the back door and studied my face. He handed me an ice pack before he left. A man approached us and looked Hector up and down.

"You hit a customer. You're not at the bar. I'm losing money here. You're fired. Effective immediately." the man told Hector

"Si" Hector nodded to the man (yes)

I looked at Carlos and then back at Hector. When I turned to Carlos again he nodded.

"Hector? Would you be interested in working for a security company? We're just starting out and most of our current work is in bond enforcement but I think you would like it. We would hire you on a thirty day trial and of course we need to run background checks." I told him

He shook his head no "Prison."

"That's in your past." I assured him

"I owe you for protecting my wife tonight. She is the most important person in the world to me and I owe you." Carlos told him

"Serving in prison doesn't mean anything to us. You've done your time. We look at who you are today, not who you were in your past." I assured him

Hector looked back and forth between us and thought about it for a few seconds before he nodded.

"Si, I will try." he agreed (yes)

I smiled and threw my arms around his neck. I kissed his cheek before pulling away. His eyes were wide with surprise and his body was stiff.

"Thank you. I can't imagine what might have happened to me without you. I am excited for you to join our team. " I patted his shoulder

"You did fine Angelito." he told me (little angel)

When Carlos and I got into the car I asked him about his conversation with Hector. I felt sorry for him that he had lost his sister. I accepted his tear drops and understood the reason behind them. I owed this man a great deal of gratitude. I may have had things under control in the last moment but things could have gone bad again quickly.

Hector passed all background checks and quickly became a part of the team. I had to learn to deal with his protective nature. It seemed I reminded him of his sister Mariana. He felt our meeting was fate and he was destined to protect me. At times it proved to be smothering but Carlos was thrilled to have someone else watching my back. Hector was also very useful when we needed information from gang members. It was through him we had discovered our little company had already made a name for itself.

When searching for skips the men were a little over the top. They made sure to show off their most intimidating side. Even Lester was able to put fear into many informants and skips. Carlos accepted jobs from local landlords that wanted drug dealers and other undesirables evicted so that the tenants could live peacefully. He made sure that he and the guys went in to perform their mission with one focus, success by any means necessary. Carlos explained that the violence was necessary in cultivating our company's image. The intimidation and fear that would be instilled in the local criminals now would help us down the road. While some of their tactics were over the top for me, I understood.

The streets had heard Carlos was an army ranger, so they had nicknamed him Ranger. Whenever Lester, Bobby, Vince or Tank were seen they were called Rangeman. We were catching skips better by keeping an ear to the streets and creating a reputation that put fear in many. Th guys were slowly finding out that most information was becoming easier to get without violence. It had gotten to the point where most skips could be brought in with absolutely no violence. Everyone feared Ranger and his men.

The building was coming along and we had finally settled on the name Rangeman for our company. It seemed to fit since that was already the term the streets were using. Carlos will always be Carlos to me and his friends but now on the streets he is known as Ranger. I have pretty much stopped working for the TPD as well as the FBI. I only come in to give advice on major cases they are unable to solve.

The building was almost complete when we got the file for another high bond skip. Stone Pivot had been arrested for embezzling over one million dollars from his law partners. He would become FTA at midnight and we had received a tip he would be attending the policeman's charity ball this evening. I was decked out in a long silver gown with a slit on the side that went all the way up to my thigh. My father had secured Rangeman to run security detail for him. He was on his second term as Mayor of Trenton and was preparing to run for Senator. The men would all be attending in tuxedos and would remain unknown to attendees.

Everything was going well until the MC announced it was time for the auction. The MC was none other than Angela Morelli. Joe and Anthony's mom had thrown herself into several charities as she tried to salvage the Morelli reputation in the Burg. It seemed some of the fine people of Trenton were auctioning off themselves to raise money for the Women and Children's fund for murdered Officers. I stood with Carlos as we watched my father get auctioned off. Even though he was now married to Anna it seemed women still wanted to go out to eat with him. He did end up bringing in $1500 for the fund.

I stood beside Lester laughing when Joyce Barnhardt was auctioned for $200. Lester was focused on looking for the perfect woman to bid on. I reminded him it was only for a lunch. Not even a date. Just lunch with someone. I had my eye on Pivot. He arrived without a date. He was occasionally bidding on different women but never won any of the ones who came up. Then I heard Angie Morelli call my name.

"Stephanie Manoso?" she called out

I was frozen in my spot when she called me again. People around me smiled and encouraged me to make my way to the stage. I faked a smile and moved to the stairs beside the stage. Joe Morelli was there and took my hand to guide me up the steps. I moved slowly towards the podium and Angie Morelli grabbed my hand. She spun me around in a circle before asking for the opening bid.

"The winning bidder will attend lunch with the beautiful Stephanie Manoso. Let's start the bidding." she signaled

"$200" Lester raised his hand

I laughed and shook my head.

"$300" shouted a gentleman I didn't know

"$350" offered another gentleman.

"$500" my father countered

"$550" Joe Morelli called out

"$600" Lester shot back quickly

I shook my head at him. I didn't want him to waste his money.

"$650" It was Stone Pivot.

I looked at Carlos but he had on his blank face. When he caught my eye he gave me a wink and I forced a smile. I looked at Stone Pivot and smiled. He was a good looking guy and in three hours he would be FTA. It would be a good thing for him to win me. His money would go to charity and it would give me an excuse to talk to him tonight.

"$700" a man near the back of the room called out

"$800" Morelli called out

Where the heck was he getting his money? He can't make too much on a cop's salary. Everyone knows that the police are not paid well.

"$850" Lester countered

"$875" offered another stranger

"$900" My father countered

I shot him a look both of appreciation and warning to stop. I was worried Pivot wouldn't bid again.

"$950" Morelli called

I looked at him. He was standing side by side with his cousin Mooch. Mooch was passing him cash. Now I knew how he was coming up with the money to bid for me.

"$2000" Stone called out as gasps spread through the audience.

Angie Morelli looked annoyed.

"Going once, going twice..." she began

"$5000" came a deep voice.

The man who had made the bid was tall with black hair. He had a man on each side of him. They appeared to be his body guards. He beamed up at me and I nodded with a smile. I had no clue who this man was but I knew he was someone important.

"Going once, going twice, sold! Sold for $5000 to Mr. Alexander Ramos." Mrs. Morelli announced

Stone approached the stairs and held out his hand to help me off of the stage. I took his hand and echoed his smile.

"I guess I lost my chance for a lunch with you." he chuckled

"Sorry about that." I told him.

He released my hand but stayed close to me.

"Care to dance?" he asked

"Sure" I told him

He took my hand again and led me to the dance floor. I was happy to dance with an almost FTA who could keep his hands to himself. We made some small talk. I told him I was working as an Office Manager which wasn't a complete lie. When the song was over he made me promise I would find him later for another dance before the night was through. I wanted to dance with my husband. I walked around the edge of the dance floor when I noticed Morelli sitting at a table I was passing. He jumped to his feet when he saw me.

"Dance with me" he told me

"No" I rolled my eyes

"Oh come on. For old times sake?" he pushed

"No. Especially not for old times sake. I hope the women at your table are watching their drinks." I glared at him

"I told you I was sorry." he looked down

"Yeah, thanks for that." I was sarcastic

"If you'll excuse me I need to find my husband." I explained

"Oh by the way..." he began

I turned back towards him to hear what he had to say.

"Hope you liked the flowers." he smiled

"I knew they were from you." I whipped my head around and glared at him.

"No they weren't. I gave Johnny Ortega your address and then he asked to make a phone call. I approved his request when I found out he wanted to call a florist. I had hoped you would shoot him down or at the very least I would find out what kind of flowers you liked." he smirked.

"You're an ass." I shook my head and walked away.

I bumped right into a strong chest. I looked up to find the blonde man who had been outside of the bar when we captured Johnny Ortega. He grabbed my shoulders to steady me and suddenly Carlos was at my side.

"You can remove your hands from my wife." he warned

"I'm sorry I was just trying to help." the man said

"I know you. I've seen you before. You were outside or the bar." I told him

"I just..." he stammered

"Let's talk." Carlos commanded

The man nodded. Carlos put his hand on the small of my back and motioned for the man to walk in front of us. He directed him out onto the balcony. Carlos turned to size the man up. He was very built. He reminded me of a dinosaur. His head was small in proportion to his body. I found myself smiling as I looked him over. Carlos waited for the man to speak first. We stood in silence for a couple of minutes. I was dying to speak. I was worried this game would last forever because I knew Carlos would never speak first.

"Look I just wanted to make sure she was okay." the man explained

"Who are you?" Carlos demanded

"Hal Walker." the man said

"I know that name." I tried to think of where I had heard the last name Walker recently.

"Wait. Jenny Walker? How do you know her?" I asked

"She's my sister." he admitted

"Babe" Carlos asked

"Jenny Walker was raped and assaulted by Johnny Ortega." I explained

"I was just trying to make sure he didn't do it to anyone else." Hal looked down

"Thank you." I told him

"Why are you here tonight?" Carlos asked

"Ortega made bail. When my family found out my sister took a bunch of pills." his eyes remained focused on the ground.

"Oh no. Is she okay?" I stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"They pumped her stomach, but it was too late she is in a coma." he sniffed

"Are you following Stephanie or Ortega?" Carlos asked him

"Ortega. He has been watching Stephanie's place. He sent her flowers. He bought a ticket for tonight but I haven't seen him yet." Hal informed us.

"Thank you for watching out for me." I patted his shoulder again before I stepped back.

"Keep your eyes open." Carlos nodded to him

"Will do Ranger. I don't want to see the same thing happen to anyone else. He seems to be fixated on your wife." Hal explained

"He's not going to put a finger on her." Carlos told him

"Agreed" Hal nodded

Carlos put his hand on my back and led me back into the ballroom. I eyed the room trying to find Stone. I noticed him having a drink with a blonde. her hair stopped at her shoulders. For some reason she reminded me of a cat. Her dress was black and sleek. The dress was short, stopping above her knee. She looked out of place in a ballroom full of women in longer dresses. She was sexy in a scary way. You could tell even from a distance that she was not a nice person. Her eyes were brown but dark and intense. She glanced at me and met my eyes with a smirk.

"That's Jeanne Ellen Burrows. She is the BEA for the new bond agent in town. Les Sebring. " Carlos whispered in my ear

"Oh great." I sighed

"Babe"

"How do you know?" I asked him

"Ran into her when picking up an FTA a few weeks ago." he told me

"How did you run into her?" I asked

"It was a partial bond issued by Sebring and we covered the other part. She thought she could bring him in first." he smiled

"And?" I pushed

"Of course she walked away empty handed." he shrugged

"Hmmm" I was thinking

We started moving forward again together. After a few steps Carlos left my side but I kept walking towards Stone. When he noticed me his eyes lit up and he leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"So pleased that you have returned. I thought I lost you for the night." he told me

"I promised you another dance." I reminded him

"Excellent." he smiled.

He turned to Jeanne Ellen and gave a slight bow. "Nice to meet you Ms. Burrows. Hope you have a goodnight."

"A dance later?" she asked

"I think his dance card is pretty full." I gave her a wink

Stone chuckled and led me onto the floor. Once he had me in his arms I looked over his shoulder to see Jeanne Ellen glaring at me. She stomped a foot and then walked away. I followed her with my eyes and she went directly to Carlos. Her lips were barely opening but I could tell she was speaking to him. He glanced away from her and found me. When our eyes met he smiled. He looked back at her and shook his head before he walked away from her.

I spent the rest of the evening with Stone. We danced, we ate cake and I listened to his small talk. He was a pretty decent guy and if he wasn't an FTA I could imagine him becoming a friend. The crowd was starting to thin out and I checked my watch. Two minutes to midnight. I followed the plan and accepted when he offered to take me back to his place for a nightcap since the bar was closed. We retrieved our coats and I allowed him to lead me outside. His limo pulled up and I was worried for a minute when I didn't see any of my guys. I heaved out a big sigh of relief when the limo driver got out and opened the door. The driver was Vince.

I feigned forgetting to say goodbye to my father to run back in for a minute. I left Stone alone to get in the car to wait for me. I knew we had him now and I wouldn't be coming back. The ballroom was nearly empty when I spotted the man who had won me in the charity bid. I stood still in my spot as I watched him approach me. When he was closer he motioned for his men to stay back and stood in front of me alone.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Alexander Ramos." he gave me a slight bow.

"Nice to meet you." I extended my hand

He took my hand in his and brought it to his mouth. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of my hand. Now that he was closer I realized he was older than I had first thought. He seemed to be studying my face but had yet to say anything else. I wondered what he did that would require him to have bodyguards. Most of all I wondered why he had chosen to spend $5000 to have lunch with me.

"You are a very beautiful woman." he smiled

"Yes she is." Carlos appeared at my side. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him. He gently kissed my temple.

"Mr. Manoso. Just the man I wanted to see." Ramos nodded to my husband.

"You could have called me." Carlos offered

"Yes, you are right. I thought it would be more fun to take your lovely wife to lunch." he gave a sight shrug

"You assumed I would accompany her?" Carlos asked him

"I knew you would never let your beautiful wife have lunch alone with me." he wiggled his eyebrows.

"What would be the topic of conversation?" Carlos asked him

"We'll save that for our lunch conversation." he told Carlos

"I'll await your call." Carlos nodded

"It was a pleasure my dear." Ramos told me

He took my hand and again placed a gentle kiss on it. He nodded to Carlos and left us with a smile before he walked away. His men followed closely behind him. I waited for him to go through the doors before I spoke to Carlos.

"Who is he?" I asked

"Alexander Ramos. He is Greek. He is an arms dealer. The arms dealer in the Northeast." he explained

"So what does he want with you?" I was curious

"I have an idea it has something to do with his current problems with the Grizzoli family." he shrugged

"I went to school with Theresa Grizzoli." I told him

"Were you friends?" he asked

"No" I shook my head

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." he gave a slight shrug

I turned to face him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He cupped my face and pulled me into a gentle but passion filled kiss. My eyes were still closed when he pulled away.

"Damn Babe, you are so sexy." he growled

"You had your own attention tonight." I reminded him

"Babe"

"We almost lost him to Jeanne Ellen." I announced.

"No man in their right mind would ever choose her over you Steph." Carlos told me.

"She had some words for you?" I asked

He chuckled and shook his head.

"What?" I asked

"I don't think you two will be friends." he teased

"Why is that?" I put both hands on my hips

"She told me it wasn't fair to bring in my wife to lure in skips." he laughed again

"Wait what?" I was confused.

"You're hot Babe." he kissed my head

"I know she said more." I told him

When we reached the SUV he opened my door. I tucked my dress under my ass before I sat down. He closed the door behind me before he jogged around to get in the driver's side. I waited for him to start the truck and pull away before I pushed him to tell me more about his conversation with Jeanne Ellen.

"Well?" I prompted him

He chuckled. "Babe"

"Carlos" I whined

"She is obviously jealous. She thinks you're just a pretty face. Since she only uses her assets to get what she wants she doesn't understand a woman with a brain. I asked around about her after that first meeting. Seems she screws her way into information. She doesn't understand how to out smart the bad guys. She tries to out sex him." he explained

"But I use my body." I pouted

"Not even close Babe. Out of the last dozen or so FTAs you helped us bring in, you only did four distractions. You use your brains to lure them out of public places to protect innocent bystanders. It also happens men can't resist you because you are also pretty damn sexy." he began

I waited for him to continue.

"She uses sex. She doesn't discriminate. She will sleep with skips, cops, feds. Basically anyone who can help her succeed with a case." he finished

"Did she try to sleep with you?" I asked

"She propositioned Lester, Vince and me." he informed me

"All at once?" I was surprised

"No. All at separate times." he laughed

"Vince and Lester? Did they?" I asked

"No" he smiled

"But tonight she wanted you?" I asked

"Yes, tonight she offered to sleep with me." he confirmed

"For the second time?" I needed to know

He shook his head "Probably about the fifth time."

"What the hell? She saw me tonight. She knows you're married." I sighed

He pulled into the lot and turned off the SUV. He unbuckled and got out. When he opened my door he leaned in and unbuckled my seat belt. He stayed in front of me when I turned to slide out of my seat. He grabbed both of my hands.

"There has never been another woman for me and there never will be. I pride myself in being a very smart man and I know exactly what we have and exactly how lucky I am that you love me as much as I love you."

He cupped my face and pulled me close. His lips were barely touching mine.

"You are everything to me and I can't imagine life without you. There is no woman who could ever tempt me away from you."

Then his lips took mine.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14- Twenty six years old- part 1

"Thanks for coming in. We really need you for this case." Agent Perkins told me

I was in Washington DC sitting in a conference room. The building is what's known as FBI Headquarters. Agent Perkins had called me in to discuss and important case that he was unable to discuss over the phone. I looked through the file that was set before me on the table. The suspect was thought to be the serial killer of nine women in the Northwest. His victims were found all over Oregon and Washington.

"You want me to check the profile? See if other suspects may fit?" I asked

"We want you to talk to him. We believe there may still be victims out there. Dead or alive we would like to find the bodies. We have him in custody in Portland, Oregon." Agent Perkins explained "That file is still a work in progress. We've only had him in custody for twenty-four hours."

"And you would also like me to get him to confess." I guessed

"Well, if anyone can do it I know you can." he looked at me intently.

"What makes you think I can do it?" I questioned him

"You have a way of making people talk." he shrugged "People trust you. You set people at ease and make them want to talk."

"How many others before me?" I asked

The agent hesitated.

"You were my first choice but..." he began

"How many?" I prodded

"Three." he answered

"So three agents have tried and gotten nothing out of him and now you want me to perform miracles?" I asked

"I know you can do it." he nodded

"Let me go home and go over the case and I will call you tomorrow morning with my decision." I told him

We both rose to our feet and he extended his hand.

"Thank you. I can't begin to tell you how important this case is." he told me

I pulled into the underground garage of the Rangeman building just before five o'clock. I had already decided that I would take the case during my drive home. I needed to at least try. I wanted to locate any other victims that may be out there and I wanted this guy's confession. Carlos had been a bit over protective lately. Johnny Ortega had recently broken out of jail and he had a couple of skips that made threats against me. As far as I was concerned it came along with the job, but Carlos was having more of an issue with it. Anytime a case came up that required a distraction he tried to think of any other option before agreeing to it. I had already texted him to meet me for dinner in the penthouse as soon as he was available. Thank God I didn't have to rely on frozen food or take-out anymore. They used to be my only choices for dinner if Carlos or Lester were too busy to cook. Now I had Ella.

Carlos' uncle had recently been forced into early retirement and he was miserable having nothing to do. After much discussion we decided to hire him as the handyman for the building. Tank, Bobby and Lester all had apartments on the sixth floor so we moved Carlos' Aunt Ella and Uncle Louis into the last available apartment on that floor. His aunt never had children but had a strong desire to take care of others. We gave her the responsibility of taking care of the men. She was to provide meals in the break room every day and perform cooking and cleaning for our penthouse. We gave both of them a salary as well as free room and board.

Ella lit up with the idea of having so many to take care of. Every day her face was bright with a big smile and the men appreciated her. I couldn't be happier. Her cooking was incredible and it was so nice to not have to worry about laundry. Abuela was living in an assisted care facility. I picked her up on weekends whenever I could and we would cook together like the old days. Carlos and I met up with my dad and Anna once a month or so for dinner. We had dinner with his parents mainly during holiday times. My brother Sal was in Nigeria working with doctors without borders.

I took the elevator straight to the seventh floor. As soon as I opened the door the wonderful smell hit me. Fettuccine Alfredo with sausage. My favorite meal. Carlos was at the kitchen counter drinking a glass of wine. He smiled when he saw me and poured another glass. I reached the counter and he pulled me tightly against him.

"Glad you're home." he told me

"Me too" I smiled

I planted a sweet kiss on his lips and then gathered up my wine glass. As soon as I took a drink I knew it was my favorite type. He gestured for me to sit at the table where our dinner awaited us.

"My favorite meal. My favorite wine. Something I should know? I asked as I took my seat

"I wanted to talk to you about something important Babe." he explained

"Hmm, should I be worried?" I asked him

"I don't think so." he shrugged

"So what is it?" I asked

"Well, I was thinking." he began

"Uh oh." I teased

"Eat your dinner." he laughed

I ate a spoonful of Fettuccine and moaned. It was delicious. Carlos chuckled at me and leaned back in his chair.

"How was your drive?" he asked me

"Fine. You know I have absolutely no patience. Tell me what's going on." I pleaded

"I can't make small talk with my wife?" he smiled

"Carlos, you don't do small talk." I couldn't help but smile.

"The company is doing very well." he reminded me

"Yes, it is. Sales are up. We have hired more men. The Miami branch is going strong and Bobby has been training the manager of the new Boston branch. I'd say we're doing better than any of us could have imagined." I agreed

"I think it's time to expand once again." he informed me

"Where?" I asked

"Our family." he quickly answered

"Expand our family?" I was confused.

"Babe"

"You want to have children?" I asked

"Do you?" he returned my question

"I never really envisioned having children. Then again I never really envisioned getting married until I met you." I admitted

"So we can try?" he was excited

"How about this? Let's leave it up to fate." I suggested "I will stop taking my birth control and when it happens it happens."

"Perfect." his bright smile lit up the room

"What brought this on?" I asked

"I was sitting in my office going over financials. As you said the company is doing great. Then I glanced at the picture of you on my desk and we are doing great. I realized the only thing missing for me was a child. I want to see you pregnant." his pupils dilated

"Is this a caveman thing?" I giggled

"I am sure I will feel very proud to watch your belly grow with our child." he hid a smile

I laughed "So a little bit of a caveman thing?"

"Babe"

"I would love to have a baby with you." I admitted

He pushed his chair back and got to his feet. He pulled me from my chair into a tight embrace.

"Thank you" he said quietly

"I think as soon as we finish dinner we should start practicing." I suggested

"That's a very good idea Babe." Carlos whispered in my ear.

When I woke up Carlos was still in bed with me. I had dragged him to the bed to make love to him as soon as I finished my last bite of dessert. Then we made love in the shower. Then we made love again when he woke me in the middle of the night. Carlos and I were very good at this baby making practice. He felt that I was awake and began rubbing my arm. My head was laying on his chest and my leg was curled across his.

"Good morning gorgeous." he kissed the top of my head

"Good morning sexy." I purred

"What's on your schedule today?" he asked me

"I need to do some major research on this case for the feds." I explained

"I'm sorry. I completely forgot to ask about it last night." he chuckled

"You had other things on your mind." I smiled

"So, tell me all about it." he suggested

"They need me to go to Portland to talk to a suspected serial killer." I cut to the chase.

"No way." he growled

"Excuse me?" I pulled away and met his eyes

"No." he stated

"No? You're kidding me right?" he shook his head as I spoke. "This is my job Carlos."

"No. Running our company is your job. Making sales is your job. Maintaining clients is your job. Consulting with the PD is your job." he sat up

"Working with the FBI is also my job." I was on my feet.

"This is too dangerous." he was on his feet

"Are you kidding me? I will be talking to a man in custody." I rolled my eyes

"What if he's not the one? What if the killer is still loose in that area?" he asked

"Carlos" I crossed my arms across my chest

"What if he is the killer and he manages to get free during a conversation? What if he gets fixated on you and then escapes?" he stalked towards me.

I raised both hands to stop him.

"Do you realize how irrational you sound?" I asked

"You are not going." he commanded

"I can't believe you're serious. I am a grown woman, I don't need another daddy." My voice was rising

"I can't let you do this." he stood in front of me

"Let me?" I took a deep breath "I am going to take a shower."

"Babe"

"No. Don't talk to me right now and don't you dare try to join me in the shower. I don't want to talk to you right now." I glared at him.

"I love you." he offered through gritted teeth.

"I love you too. I just don't like you very much right now." I huffed

I still didn't understand his whole 'I love you' when we argued. No matter how mad or upset he was he always told me he loved me. He explained to me once that it was a military thing. That if something happened he wanted that to be the last phrase we exchanged to each other and not words of anger. I was a runner by nature and always needed to walk away and sometimes run and escape. Each time he would make sure he said 'I love you' before I walked away from the situation. It always made it very hard to stay furious with him.

I tried to calm myself as the hot water poured over me. I was no longer furious, but I will still angry. What the hell was his problem? Many times at work I had to prove I was just one of the guys and didn't need special treatment. It was infuriating at times when Carlos or Hector tried to forbid me from doing something they deemed too dangerous. I took a long hot shower and tried to get myself together. I knew he had valid concerns, but this was something I was going to do.

When I got out of the shower I stayed in the bathroom. I did all of my deodorant and lotion stuff. I did my hair and put on some light make-up including several layers of mascara. I was avoiding leaving the bathroom. I knew Carlos would be waiting for me. He never allowed an argument to brew too long between us if it could be avoided. He was one who never wanted to go to bed angry as well. We didn't often argue or disagree but when we did it was something fierce. We were both very stubborn.

I came out of the bathroom wrapped in my towel and saw him waiting on the bed. He was fully clothed with his hands folded behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankle. He watched me as I crossed the room and went into the walk-in closet. I looked for my black skirt and my white silky top. I had a client meeting this afternoon. I located my clothes and grabbed a white bra and panty set. As soon as I dropped my towel Carlos appeared in the doorway.

"So beautiful." he said softly as he approached me.

I felt the blush rise in my cheeks. I pulled on the panties and leaned into my bra. Before I knew it Carlos was at my back clasping the bra for me. He pulled my shirt from the hanger and held it out for me. I slid my arms in and he pulled it on to me. He turned me and buttoned up the front slowly. He grabbed my skirt and got down onto his knees to allow me to step into it. Once again he spun me around and tucked in my shirt before he zippered up the skirt. He slid his arms around my waist and pulled me tight against him. My back to his front. I put my hands on his arms and leaned back against him. When I turned my head he kissed me. The kiss was slow and full of love and I felt myself relax into him.

"I hate to fight with you." he told me when we came up for air.

"Me too." I agreed

"What are we going to do?' he asked

"I need to go to Portland. There is a chance there are more victims out there dead or alive. I need to see if they have the right guy and try to get some information from him. Nine women Carlos. They have found nine women they believe were all murdered by this man." I explained

"What does this have to do with you?" he asked me

"It's important." I was becoming frustrated

"Of course it's important. The FBI came to you?" he asked

"You sound surprised that they would come to me?" the anger was rising again

"That's not what I meant." he explained

"The higher ups didn't consider me. They sent three other agents or profilers and none of them got anything. Agent Perkins wanted me from the beginning. They finally allowed him to reach out to me." I admitted

"How long do you think it will take?" he asked me

I shrugged "Not sure. Hopefully not more than a couple of days."

"What is your plan?" he spun me around

"I will take Hector with me." I assured him

"That will give me some comfort I guess." he kissed my nose

"Why are you so worried?" I asked

"I always worry about you." he sighed "I don't really have any say in this do I?"

"Thank you Carlos." I melted against him. "Thank you so much for understanding."

"I'm still not happy about it. If it takes more than two days I will be flying out there to check on you. I need to make a...request." he paused

"Yes?" I was curious

"Hector needs to be at the facilities. I want him somewhere that will allow him to see you at all times whenever you are with the suspect. Can you make that happen?" he asked

"I'll tell agent Perkins when I call this morning to accept the job." I nodded "I can't guarantee it."

"You haven't accepted?" he was surprised

"I had to talk to my husband first." I stated

"Good to know." he nodded

Hector and I landed in Portland at ten o'clock at night. We checked into our hotel. Carlos had booked us a two bedroom suite. I sighed to myself. Sometimes I had a hard time accepting his concern. At times it made me feel like he had no faith in me. I know he was just worried about me, but still he had to know that I was capable of taking care of myself. His need to protect me was sometimes smothering.

"It's because he loves you." Hector told me as we entered the suite

"Hector." I shook my head "I'm trained to be an FBI agent. I went through all of the physical training. I am intelligent enough to do my best to avoid dangerous situations. I brought you here with me as back up. And still he doesn't trust me to have my own room."

"Angelita, he trusts you. It's just easier like this. We can meet in the living room and have meals together. Watch TV together." he smiled

I sighed "Yeah, I understand. Just...well...we argued about me doing this."

"But when he drove us to the airport he was fine." Hector looked confused

"We came to a compromise." I explained

"Me?" he raised his eyebrows as I nodded

"Estephania, your husband loves you with his whole heart. Neither of you have ever been with anyone else because you were brought together at such a young age. You were meant to be together. Always around to protect each other." Hector explained to me

"I understand. I know he loves me and I love him more than anything else in the world. I just wish he would have more faith in me." I admitted

"You will feel better in the morning." he assured me

Hector set down the suitcases and pulled me into his arms. I let my cheek fall against his chest and he kissed me on the top of my head. I heaved out a big sigh and tried to just let it go. I was tired and cranky. I had stopped taking my birth control pills and immediately got my period so I knew that wasn't helping my mood either. Hector released me and picked up my suitcase. He went into my bedroom and set it on the suitcase holder. He pulled me to him once more and kissed my forehead.

"Clear your mind and sleep Angelita. You will need your strength tomorrow." he warned before he left the room

The next morning I was at the Portland field office. I was in a conference room sitting across from a very nervous looking agent. He had hastily made the introductions. His name was Stan Rutherford. He seemed very nervous about my presence and anxious for me to meet the potential serial killer. He passed an open file to me.

"You are looking at Clarence Vaughn. Thirty years old. High School Graduate. Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He always returned to the scene of the crime. That's how we finally caught up to him. He was arrested when he stood with a group of bystanders as we pulled Sabrina King out of the house. He has been silent here for the last twenty-four hours. He is under arrest for the suspected murder of nine women." Agent Rutherford told me

"Born in New Brunswick?" I asked

He nodded "Seems he lived there until he was twenty-five. The first victim we suspect is Alison Barkley, sixteen year old waitress here in Portland."

"It didn't mention New Jersey in the file I was given." I told him

"It's new information. At that time he went by the name Sam Vaughn. He attended Princeton University." he explained

"When did this information come in?" I asked

"This morning." he answered

I blew out a breath and was silent for a moment. I had memorized his file but now this new information changed things for me. Had I met him before? Is that why I was drawn to this case?

"And he hasn't spoken to anyone?" I asked

"Not a word. Not even a groan when he accidentally slammed into a wall." the agent smirked

"Were the agents who tried to speak to him strictly male?" I asked

"No. We had one female agent attempt to speak to him. She didn't look like you." he noted

"How so?" I asked him

"You don't exactly look like an FBI agent." he tried to explain

"I guess I should take that as a compliment." I assumed

"Yes" he nodded

"So what information do we want?" I inquired

"Are we right about the first victim? How many victims? Are any alive?" he blew out a breath

"So basically everything and anything?" I asked

"Yeah." he nodded "We are at our wit's end."

"I can't guarantee anything." I told him

"Any information would be more than we have." he reminded me

I shrugged "I don't know if I can get any information but I will try my best."

"They're bringing him out. Where do you want to see him?" Agent Rutherford asked

"What are my options?" I asked

"Small conference room with him handcuffed to table and shackled to the floor." he offered

"What else?" I asked

"Clear plastic in between you with him unsecured." he offered

"How about small conference room with him shackled to the floor hands free?" I tried

"And someone in there with you?" he assumed

"No." I stated

"Are you sure that's safe? Can you keep your distance? I can't promise we can get in fast enough if he gets his hands on you." the agent was worried

"We will start off all shackled and then I will call someone back in to release his hands to establish compassion." I explained

"Estephania?" Hector questioned

"I know what I'm doing." I assured them both

I skimmed through the file I had already ready more than ten times as I tried to take in the new information. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get Clarence Vaughn to talk. I was worried it would be a wasted trip. I didn't want to let down the families of these women. I couldn't help but wonder if he was in a class of mine. Did I know him? I was worried that Carlos had no faith in me. But most of all I was worried there may be a woman out there who was alive and she would never be found because of me.

I entered the small room with empty hands. I didn't want to carry a notepad or a pen. I didn't want to risk having something that could be used as a weapon. Vaughn was already seated at the small desk with his hands cuffed to the top. I pulled out the chair and sat down across from him. He was looking down at his own hands. I sat back in my chair and blew out a breath. I was channeling my inner Carlos by not speaking right away.

He had sandy blonde hair that was wavy and hung just above his shoulders. I waited until he looked up. As soon as we made eye contact it was as if he were frozen in place. His eyes were green and piercing. His eyes seemed to tell me he was studying me. It was as if he was trying to figure out who I was or why I was here. I turned my head slightly to the side as I studied him in return. I waited five minutes. He had nothing to say so I got up and left.

I went into the viewing room and sat down beside Hector.

"What are you doing?" Agent Rutherford asked me

"Giving him a reason to talk to me" I explained

"Are you going back in there?" the agent asked

"No. Not today." I stated

"Should we bring him back to his cell?" Rutherford asked me

"Not yet." I stalled him "Wait thirty minutes please."

The agent waited thirty minutes like I asked before bringing Vaughn back to his cell. Hector and I left with the promise I would return tomorrow morning. We went together for lunch and then we went back to the hotel. I spent a few hours on my laptop doing research. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I remember was Hector gently shaking my shoulder. He woke me up to tell me to go to bed. I woke up at six o'clock in the morning with my stomach growling for food. I smelled coffee and came out of my room to find Hector making scrambled eggs and bacon in the kitchenette.

"Did you speak to Carlos?" he asked me

"Oops. I fell asleep. Did he call you?" I asked

"Si" he nodded

I waited for him to say more but of course he didn't I sighed and went to grab my cell phone. No missed calls. One text message from Lester telling me to text him that I was okay. I shot him off a text telling him not to worry about me. I hit speed dial one for Carlos.

"Yo" he answered

"Yo yourself." I teased

"Babe"

"Yeah, it's me." I said in answer

"Are you okay?" he asked

"Yeah" I bit my lower lip

I don't know what possessed me, but I wanted him to talk first. I wanted him to tell me what was on his mind. Why didn't he call or text me? He called Hector but not me?

"What's wrong?" he pushed

I sighed. How do I tell him that I didn't really know what was wrong. I just felt like there was something going on between my husband and I but I couldn't put my finger on it. Maybe he was bored with me. We had only been with each other and maybe he wanted to see what was out there. I knew he wasn't cheating on me. Carlos would never do something like that.

"I don't know." I admitted

"Babe"

"Carlos, I just..." I didn't know what to say

"Something is wrong? Are you okay?" he asked

"I just don't feel right. Something is off between us." I let out another deep sigh

"Do you want me to come to Oregon?" he asked

"No, I'll figure it out." I told him

"Is this about me wanting to have a child with you?" Carlos asked

"No" I answered honestly

"Babe"

"Why didn't you call me?" I asked

"I didn't think you wanted to talk to me. You didn't call me when you got there." he explained

"I guess I wanted you to call me. I'm just out of it. Trying to focus on this case." Hector set a mug of coffee in front of me.

"Stephanie, don't get lost in this case." he warned

"I'm not. I won't. Just I need to focus." Hector set down my plate next

"I need to go." I told him

"Love you Babe" he told me

"Love you too." I said before disconnecting

"We brought him into the room about an hour ago like you asked." Agent Rutherford told me as Hector and I entered the viewing room.

"Thank you." I nodded

I watched Clarence Vaughn. He kept his head down staring at his hands. His breathing was slow and deep. He was in complete control of himself. I needed to break that control. He needed to trust me. Something yesterday made him look up at me. I needed to keep that focus. I needed to find a way to set him at ease. I heaved in a big breath and left the viewing room. With one hand on the door to the small room I closed my eyes. You can do this. Use your training. Use your instincts. Let your spidey sense lead you. I tried to pump myself up.

I opened the door and Vaughn didn't look up. I sat in the chair across from him and again I remained silent. After a couple of minutes he slowly lifted his head. Again his eyes settled on mine as I watched him study me. I sat for five minutes and he said nothing. I got up and went for the door. As soon as I put my hand on the knob he spoke.

"Stay." he pleaded

I turned around and looked at him. I held his eyes for a minute before I released the door knob. I slowly moved back to the chair and sat down. I leaned back in my seat and watched him. There was some kind of inner struggle going on with him. I suspected he wanted to talk to me but had promised himself not to talk to anyone. I lifted my eyebrows encouraging him to talk.

"Your eyes." he spoke in a near whisper

"Sorry?" I leaned forward

Vaughn cleared his throat and spoke louder.

"Your eyes." he said

I waited. I wasn't sure how to respond. I didn't want to ask what he meant. I wanted him to elaborate on his own. He linked his fingers together and his thumbs slowly rubbed against each other. He seemed nervous now.

"Why are you here?" he asked

"To talk to you." I admitted

"Why?" he asked

"I need answers." I informed him

"What if I don't have them?" he asked

"Then I leave." I tried to keep a calm voice.

"Stay" he begged

"Talk" I countered

He nodded.

"Tell me about Sabrina King." I commanded

"She was pretty but not beautiful like you." he answered quickly

"Why?" I prompted

"I saved her." he relaxed back in his chair

"Saved her?" I was confused "She was 16 years old."

He nodded but didn't speak. He moved his hands around. When I looked down at them I saw pink marks around his wrists. I got up and went to the door.

"Don't" he begged

"I'll be right back." I assured him

Three minutes later his cuffs were off. I nodded to the agent who held the cuffs in his hand. He hesitated but finally left the room. Vaughn rolled his hands in circles as he eased the pain on his wrists. He smiled at me and gave me a quick nod.

"You're not afraid?" he asked

"No" I was a little

"Her English teacher raped her. She confided in the counselor at school who did nothing to help her. She was in pain. She considered suicide. By taking her life I saved her. She didn't have to worry about losing her soul with suicide and I took the pain away." he finally spoke

"How did you know?" I asked

"I was dating the counselor." he quickly answered

"Slitting her throat relieved her of her pain?" I questioned

He shrugged "It was quick."

"Are there any others still out there?" I asked

He nodded

"Can you tell me about them?" I asked

He shook his head no. I got up to leave. Before I got to the door knob he spoke.

"You won't find them." he sounded smug

"Them?" I asked

"Alive." he nodded

"Where?" I asked

"Sit down." he ordered

I turned and gave him a glare. I walked slowly to the wall across from him. I leaned back and crossed my arms over my chest. I waited.

"You're married." It was a statement.

I nodded.

"Do you love him?" he asked

I nodded

"But right now you doubt his love." he stated

I didn't make a move. I had been trained to keep my emotions in check. This was a subject I didn't want to discuss with him.

"You worry there are other women." he stated

Again I kept a blank face.

"You are right. Your worries are valid." he smirked

I moved across the room and took a seat in my chair again. I leaned back and relaxed. I wasn't feeling relaxed but I wanted to give him that appearance.

"Was Allison Barkley your first?" I asked

He shook his head no.

"Tell me about your first." I prompted

"Tell me about yours." he countered

"This isn't about me." I corrected him

"You show me yours and I'll show you mine." he shrugged

Damn it. He said they were two alive. Okay, I could give him information. I would lie when needed but this answer was easy.

"My husband." I answered

"And you were his. That explains his desire to see what else is out there. Did he come here with you?" he asked me

"No." I paused "Tell me who was your first.

"Daisy Cline" he stated

"Where?" I asked

"New Jersey" Vaughn answered quickly

"Where is she?" I asked

"Buried." he stated

"Where?" I pushed

"Pine Barrens" he told me

"Exact location." I demanded

"Near the fire tower at the summit of Apple Pie Hill." he was quick to answer.

"Why?" I asked

"She was a friend in college. She was date raped by some frat boy. She was so ashamed and devastated. She felt so guilty. I relieved her of her pain and guilt." he stated

"I'll be right back." I told him

He sat back with a smile and I left the room. I pulled the door closed and then leaned against it. I let out a deep breath and then Hector was in front of me. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me against him. We didn't speak. I waited for word from the state police in New Jersey. Agent Rutherford had called in the location we received from Vaughn.

I went into the viewing room and watched him. He remained laid back in his seat. He looked up at the ceiling. I needed to get back in there. I needed to keep him talking. There were two victims alive out there. I could feel it was true and I needed him to tell me where they were. I ordered two turkey sandwiches and Hector carried them into the room with me along with chips and cokes. He set them down on the table and glared at Vaughn. I nodded to him and he left the room.

I ate my lunch in silence waiting for him to talk. He seemed pleased with the food I had arranged for him. He had finished his sandwich before he spoke.

"That man loves you." he was speaking about Hector.

"Yes" I nodded

"You love him." he stated

"Yes" I nodded

"He is like a brother." Vaughn suggested

"He is a brother." I corrected him

"Yet he hides things from you." Vaughn dug into the bag of chips

"We all have secrets." I shrugged

"He hides things from you to protect your husband." Vaughn sneered

"Protecting people is what he does." I shrugged

"He thinks he is protecting you, but his secrets would break you." he stated

I didn't reply. He's trying to screw with my mind. I know this. I understand this. At the same time my curious nature has me questioning everything. He's getting to me. He studied me. He turned his head from side to side. He was thinking. I was counting to ten I was trying to take deep breaths without him noticing.

"Tell me where the last two victims are. The ones who are alive." I changed the subject.

"Do you remember Professor McGregor?" he asked

I nodded. He was a professor at Princeton. He taught a criminal justice course.

"He had a student Lydia Byrd. She was failing. She went to him for extra credit work and help understanding the tests she had failed. He helped himself to her. He raped her. He didn't even use protection. She got an STD. I was working at the campus clinic. We became friends. I put her out of her misery. I saved her." he spoke with a strong steady voice.

I shook my head. He clearly had no true grip on reality. These girls needed counseling and friendship. They didn't have to die. How could he think he was 'saving' these women by killing them?

"Where is she?" I asked

"You're so easy to talk to. You aren't a liar by nature. You are a very compassionate person. Very selfless." he noted

"Thank you." I replied

"Lydia is buried next to the main building at the Fenimore Landfill in Ledgewood, New Jersey." he stated

"So you started when you were still in New Jersey?" I asked

He nodded

"You attended Princeton University?" I asked

He nodded.

I gulped "Did you know me?"

He nodded.

I excused myself to go to the bathroom. Once I got into the hall I pushed past Hector's out stretched arms and went straight to the bathroom. I was rattled and Vaughn knew it. I wanted to run from the building and go escape to a beach. I needed to get myself together. He refused to speak to anyone else and now he was speaking to me. Those two damn victims were out there. I needed him to tell me where they were. I couldn't get over the fact that he knew me.

I splashed water in my face and went to the observation room. Agent Rutherford was on the phone. Hector stood against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. He looked at me with concern in his eyes, but he understood I wanted him to stay away from me right now. Rutherford disconnected from his call.

"They found the body of Daisy Cline. She was exactly where he said she would be. We never even anticipated any victims in New Jersey." he rubbed both hands across his face. "I can't believe you got him talking."

"I only want to find out about the last two victims that are still alive." I could hear my monotone voice.

"Finding Daisy has given that family closure. All of the information he is giving you is useful. Don't doubt that. You have no idea how amazing this is. The information you are gathering is invaluable. You are doing a great job." he confirmed

"At a cost." Hector spoke

"She's being paid well." Rutherford was confused.

"Not that kind of cost." Hector corrected him

Rutherford glanced back and forth between the two of us.

"Is there something I need to know?" he asked Hector

Hector shook his head no. I left the room and went back to Vaughn. What cost was Hector talking about? What the hell was Vaughn talking about with Hector keeping secrets and Carlos? I needed to push that all aside. I would deal with all of that later.

"You came back? I was worried you were gone for the day. Can I have a restroom break?" Vaughn asked before I even sat down.

"Sure" I nodded

I stepped outside and called over the officers that were stationed in the hallway. They came in and I explained Vaughn's need for the bathroom.

"Can I hug you?" Vaughn asked me

"No" I answered quickly

"Are you afraid?" he asked

"I am disappointed. You are telling me what you want to tell me rather than what I need to know." I explained

"And if I tell you the things you need to know?" he asked

"Then I would consider the hug." I agreed

The officers had his handcuffs back on and were fixing his leg shackles to each other rather than the floor. They pulled him to his feet and led him towards the door. He stopped directly in front of me. I was out of his reach. He leaned towards me and inhaled.

"You smell like vanilla and cherries just like you did in College." He smiled

I felt a shiver run down my spine. The guards pulled him out of the room and down the hall. I turned my head up to the ceiling and ran both hands along my face and into my hair. I felt something cold on my forehead and whipped my eyes towards Hector. He was holding a bottle of water against me. I took the water and chugged half of it before I took a breath.

"We found the body of Lydia Byrd." Agent Rutherford confirmed

He charged into the room full of excitement. I nodded and gave him a small smile. So both things Vaughn had confessed to so far were true. He didn't lie. This renewed my hope that I could get the location of the women who were alive. For whatever reason he trusted me and I had to allow it. I had to tolerate the conversation with him no matter how uncomfortable. I could do this. I could push through this.

"Don't Steph." Hector pleaded

"Don't what?" I asked

"Don't listen to what he says about Carlos. Don't let him in your head. Don't let him put his hands on you." he cautioned

"Easy for you to say." I shook my head "He has only spoken to me. There are two victims out there."

"Just keep your head straight. Don't let him in." Hector begged

"Are you afraid of something? Do you have something to hide?" I asked

"Angelita." he looked hurt

"I know you're trying to help. Just leave me alone right now please. I don't need any extra pressure." I warned him

"You know how I feel about you Angelita." Hector reminded me

I nodded. A throat cleared and we all looked to the doorway to see Vaughn. He smirked as the guards brought him back in and secured him at the table.

"Tell them to go Steph." Vaughn ordered

"Vete a la verga culero" Hector told him (Fuck you asshole)

"No me jodas" Vaughn answered him (Don't fuck with me)

Hector's eyes grew wide. It wasn't in the file that Vaughn could speak Spanish.

"Estas pero si bien pendejo" Hector told him (You're a fucking idiot)

"Dejame con la mujer." Vaughn smiled at Hector (Leave me with the woman)

"Dejar de joder con su mente." Hector glared at him (Quit fucking with her mind)

Rutherford and I were watching the men like a tennis match. Neither one of us had any clue what they are saying to each other.

"Cuando haya terminado ella te odiara." Vaughn had a full smile now (When I am done she will hate you)

"No la subestimes." Hector cautioned (Don't underestimate her)

"Okay that's enough." I interrupted

I held a hand up to each man. Once they were both silent I motioned for Hector and Agent Rutherford to leave the room. I finished the water and handed Hector the bottle before he left. I sat back down in my chair across from Vaughn and exhaled a deep breath.

"I appreciate you telling me about Lydia and Daisy." I told him

"I won't lie to you." he assured me

"Clarence, I am going to leave if you don't give me information on the victims that are still alive." I informed him

"And if I give you one you will stay here with me? Through the night? As long as it takes for me to tell you my story?" he asked

"Yes" I quickly answered without fully thinking it through

"Martha Romero. Don't call her father. He was the one abusing her. Forest Park. On a boat on at the dock on Willamette River. The boat's name is Stephanie." he recited

I fought the gasp I wanted to release. I got to my feet and headed towards the door.

"Stephanie?" Vaughn called

"Yes?" I turned around

"Ask your Carlos about Emily Gaines." he smirked

I nodded "I'll be right back."

I went to the observation room and plopped down into a soft desk chair. I rested my elbows on my knees and buried my face in my hands. I sat for what seemed like hours. I didn't look up. I didn't talk to Hector though I could feel his presence in the room. Rutherford was on the phone. He was sending agents to Forest Park. He had contacted the park rangers as well. The room was silent as we waited for word. My phone vibrated in my back pocket. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen. Carlos. I hit ignore. This wasn't the time to think about him, Emily Gaines or anything else he may be hiding from me. This was the time to focus on Martha Romero.

The phone rang and Rutherford answered.

"You got her?"

"How is she?"

"Call her mother. Explain about the father. Keep me posted."

He hung up the phone.

"Damn Stephanie he told you the truth. They have the girl and she is fine. She was scared and hungry but overall she was fine." he shook his head "I can't believe it."

"That means there is one more." I told him

"Yes. I hate to send you back in there..." he hesitated

"It's my job." I confirmed

My phone vibrated again. Carlos. I hit ignore and tossed my phone to Hector.

"I'm going back in." I told the men.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15- Twenty Six Years Old- part 2

"Thank you for being straight with me so far Clarence." I told Vaughn as I took my seat across from him.

"Does this mean I get my hug?" he asked

"Not just yet." I smiled "Tell me about the other woman or girl. How old is she?"

"She's a woman. But getting back to Allison Barkley. The first one in Portland? She was my third." he admitted

"Why did you leave New Jersey?" I asked

He shrugged "Lost the girl."

"What girl?" I asked

"The one who got away." he answered

"Who was she?" I asked

"The most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. Of course she was trouble. She had no clue just how beautiful she was. She attracted the bad boys." he gave out a slight chuckle.

"Were you a bad boy?" I asked

"Not even close." he shook his head "There were some guys that had bad intentions, bad attitudes or just bad ass and I was none of the above."

"You went by Sam then?" I asked him

"Yeah." he nodded

"So how did you lose the girl?" I asked

"She was never really mine. She was always surrounded by guys." He shrugged "She didn't need another friend."

"Where did you meet her?" I pushed

"We went to the same school." he stated

"Princeton?" I asked

He nodded.

"Do I know her?" I asked

I wanted to think he was talking about Colleen or some girl I may have been friendly with at Princeton. I knew the answer before he said it.

"You are her." he admitted

"Were we friendly? I'm sorry I know you're familiar to me but I don't remember us hanging out." I sighed

"You were nice to me. We had many classes together. You had a lot of friends." he informed me

"You can never have too many friends." I told him

"I didn't have any." he shrugged

"I'm sorry..." I didn't know what more to say

"You were a good girl. So many others were partying and screwing everything that moved. Not you. You worked hard. All of those hours in the library." he looked away

I felt a shiver go through me as I watched him. He looked almost wistful. It was like he was lost in a memory. A memory of me in the library?

"Is that where we met?" I asked him

"Our very first meeting." his eyes focused on me

"When?" I asked

"Freshman year. In the library. I had a stack of books and you bumped into me." a smile spread across his face

"Sorry." I muttered

"It was perfect. Books flew everywhere. Your cheeks were pink. You were so embarrassed. You said ' _Great job paying attention to your surroundings Steph. You nearly ran this poor guy over.'_ " he chuckled

"It was so endearing that you were speaking your thoughts out loud. You were reaching around so desperately to help pick up the books. We bumped heads when we reached for the same book. You said 'O _h great now you've given him a concussion.'_ " Vaughn laughed again

I forced a smile. He was reliving a happy memory but I felt like we were just wasting time. I vaguely remembered what he was talking about. I was clumsy. It wasn't a rarity for me to crash into someone or knock over something. I knew I had to indulge him with his memories and I honestly hoped I would remember. I hoped that I would get some kind of hint of something more. Some kind of clue as to what this guy's motivation was. What did he have to do with me? How many other victims were there? Could I find out enough to locate the missing woman while she was still alive? And there was a part of me that was desperate to know if what he had been saying about Carlos was true.

"I'm sorry I was so clumsy." I told him when I noticed he was focused on me once more.

"It was one of the best days of my life." he smiled

"Tell me about Allison." I changed the subject

"Yeah, you're not ready for that yet." he muttered more to himself

"For what?" I asked

"Nothing. Allison was a nice girl. She was a waitress at a diner. I was a bus boy. She confided in me that her boyfriend was abusing her. I saved her." he admitted

"How?" I already knew the answer

"You know how. They already found her body." he leaned back

"You killed her?" I asked

"I saved her." he shrugged

"How?" I pushed for more

"I cut her heart out. Made sure she forgot all about that abusive jerk." he spoke calmly

I felt the bile that wanted to rise but ignored it. I needed to focus. Keep moving forward and not dwell on gory details.

"Gwen King?" I asked

I had memorized the victims the FBI thought Vaughn murdered. The ones that had been found at least. I wanted him to admit to each and every one.

"She worked in a pet store. I bought a fish from her. I knew there was something wrong with her. I went in a few more times. I finally heard her on the phone with a friend. Her father was sexually abusing her." he sighed "I saved her as well."

"How?" I asked

"I cut the femoral artery." he said matter of factly.

"Jody Perry?" I remembered the next name.

"Another drunken victim of date rape. I just happened to be visiting the library at Portland State University. We bumped into each other. She didn't knock over any books." he smiled

"And?" I promoted him for more

"She wasn't paying attention. Yet another one confessing her problems over the phone." he shrugged

"How?" I asked

"Brachial artery Right by the arm pit. I have always preferred knives. Guns are so impersonal." he answered

"Suzanne Westmore?" I moved along

"Tsk tsk. Another abusive boyfriend. Guys can be real pricks huh?" he shook his head

"You saved her as well?" I asked

He nodded "My first stab straight to the heart. It got the job done."

I didn't know if I had the stomach to hear much more of this. I had to just keep pushing through it. I needed to mentally remove myself from the situation. Find that blank face. Keep the gory pictures out of my brain and focus on getting the answers I needed.

"Norma Harper?" I asked

He shook his head "She wasn't next."

"Who was?" I asked

"Stephanie. I don't know if we can continue our conversation." he spoke slowly

"Why? You haven't told me about the woman who is alive." I was afraid

"There you are." he smiled

"I've been here." I reminded him

"No you weren't. You tried to disengage." he corrected me

"Is that why you chose to speak to me?" I asked

"One of the many reasons." he nodded

"What reasons?" I wanted to know

"We have a history and you need to be saved." he stated

"Saved from what? What history?" I asked

"Did you ask Carlos about Emily Gaines?" he smirked

"I've been here with you. I haven't spoken to him." I informed him

"You aren't curious?" he asked

I shook my head no.

"Liar." his smirk returned

"Do you want me to tell you the name of the next woman I saved?" he asked me

I nodded

"Tell me something first." he demanded

"What do you want to know?" I asked

"How many partners have you had?" he asked

"I don't have any partners with the FBI." I told him

A big smile covered his face.

"Yet another endearing quality. So naive." the smile was still glued to his face. "Sexual partners."

"One." I answered honestly

"Impressive. It pleases me to know I have always been right about you. Beautiful inside and out. Women like you are rare in this ugly world. You have a friend who even calls you beautiful all the time as a nickname." he was smiling and then his expression changed

"A very ugly world. Men who have no problem destroying women. Raping, abusing and cheating on women. Yes cheating Stephanie. You are so naive. Not everyone is loyal like you. Most are selfish and put their needs and desires before others. Men who easily betray women who love them. Women who ruin themselves with someone elses' husband." he shook his head.

"There are plenty of good people in the world." I argued

"Melinda Reeves. Ask your husband about Melinda Reeves. Ask him if she was good." he demanded

I rolled my eyes.

"Have I lied to you?" he asked

"I don't know." I stated

"About the women? About their locations? About Martha?" he prodded

"No. You told me the truth." I admitted

"Can you get a laptop or a tablet in here? An Ipad?" he asked

"I can't let you use one." I told him

"I don't want to use one. You are going to use it." he informed me

I looked at the mirror and nodded. Why do they even use mirrors anymore? Why not just a blacked out or tinted window? Everyone knows that are people behind there who observe what's going on in here. The door opened and Hector came in carrying an Ipad.

"You want to take a break and check your phone chica?" he asked me

"No." I shook my head

"We're just fine." Vaughn winked at Hector.

Hector grunted and then huffed out a breath of disgust. I gave him a tight lipped smile before he left the room. I glanced at Vaughn. I felt the time ticking away.

"Be patient. I can assure you that if you will allow us some more time together you will be rewarded." he smiled

"About the last woman..." I began

"She is fine. For now." he cautioned "Martha was in good condition and you will find the woman you are seeking in the same condition."

I started to speak and then he interrupted me.

"As long as we can continue trading information. As long as you continue to be honest." he threatened

"I will." I assured him

"Now I want you to log into my drop box account. I want you to show me what you are doing. You must follow my directions." he ordered

I nodded. He directed me on how to access the account. I tilted the screen to make sure we could both see. He had me open a file labeled 'TheWrongMan'. There were many other files inside. He instructed me to tap on one named Emily Gaines. I tapped it and there were pictures.

I angled the screen to view them better. One was a full body shot of her. She looked like a model. She was blonde with blue eyes and big boobs. She had a tiny waist and her smile was bright. Vaughn had me tapping more pictures. There was a picture of Carlos going into a Starbucks. Pictures of Gaines going in to the Starbucks. Pictures of them at a table together. She was laughing and smiling. He had a smile on his face. One picture showed Gaines with her hand on my husband's thigh. The next picture was a close up of that hand on his thigh.

"A new client. A business meeting." I told him

"Don't you run a lot of the sales?" he asked

I nodded

"Where do you go for sales meetings?" he asked

I hesitated and then cleared my throat. "On location or in our conference room."

"Not at Starbucks?" he asked

I shook my head no. I couldn't speak. I didn't want him to hear my voice because I felt very unsteady. I bit into my cheek. What the hell was my husband doing meeting this woman? I needed to get control of myself. I looked up at the ceiling and released a deep breath.

"Maybe Starbucks needed a security firm?" he raised an eyebrow "Though Ms. Gaines doesn't exactly look like their CEO."

I didn't say anything

"I don't do this to hurt you." Vaughn told me

"Did you do this for the other women you saved?" I asked

"Do what?" he asked

"Spend time with them? Show them things?" I offered

He shook his head. "You're special."

"I don't feel real special." I kept my eyes on the ceiling.

"Open the file that says Melinda Reeves." he ordered

I did as he asked. Another beautiful woman. She was a light skinned black woman with curves in all the right places. There were pictures of both her and Carlos separately entering the Westin Hotel in Philadelphia. There were pictures of them in the hotel bar. A picture of them standing with her kissing his cheek in what appeared to be a greeting. Sitting together at a small table for two. A candle on the table. Drinks in their hands. Smiles on their faces.

"That's a three hundred dollar a night hotel. Didn't Carlos spend some time in Philadelphia when he was getting discharged from the Army?" he asked

I nodded. I gulped. Christ! Was I so stupid? So freaking blind? How could he do this to me? My husband. The love of my love. The only man for me. I guess I wasn't the only one for him.

"Are there more?" I asked

"Not right now. Do you remember Professor Lewis?" he asked me

"History?" I offered

"Exactly." he smiled "I sat behind you."

"Did you ever try to talk to me?" I asked

"I borrowed a pencil once." he smiled at the memory. "You even let me copy your notes after I had been out sick."

"Glad I could help." my voice was low

"Stephanie, don't be upset. Relax. I hate to see you upset." he tilted his head.

He reached out for my hand. I glanced down at his out stretched hand palm up. I shook my head. I set the ipad down out of his reach and leaned back in my chair. My eyes met his and I held his stare. He chuckled and shook his head before he pulled back his hand. I tucked a stray hair behind my ear.

"I love your hair. I would get lost in your curls during a boring lecture."

Again he was off in his memories. Staring out into space with a smile.

"Does it still smell like cherries?" he asked

I shrugged

"Let me find out." he commanded

I shook my head no.

"Who was after Suzanne Westmore?" I asked

"Your hair?" he leaned back in his chair

I rolled my eyes and got to my feet. I left the room ignoring his voice calling out for me. I walked past the observation room and found the nearest office. The door wasn't locked. I went in and found a pair of scissors on the desk. I brought them with me to the bathroom. I laid them on the sink while I did my business. When I came out I washed my hands quickly and then stared at myself in the mirror. I can do this. This is no big deal. I tried to assure myself. I held out a small portion of hair and cut off a couple of inches.

When I came out of the bathroom Hector was waiting for me. I handed him the scissors. He looked at them and then back at the hair in my hand. He closed his eyes for a second as he shook his head.

"It can't be what it looks like. He would never cheat on you. Carlos loves you." Hector spoke as I turned away.

"Angelito." he called

I spun around "Did you know?"

"I didn't know about those meetings but I am sure nothing happened." he told me

"Can you guarantee it?" I asked

He was silent.

"I didn't think so." I glared

"Wait." he pleaded

"No you wait." I nearly screamed. "Wait until he reveals the secret you are keeping from me. Or you could just tell me now yourself."

"Carlos is trying to book a flight." Hector told me

"Tell him not to bother. Tell him to focus on his sales calls." I made the word sales sound dirty.

"Angelito." he called

I walked back to the room and went inside. I walked back towards my seat.

"Lean back." I ordered Vaughn

He leaned back in his chair and I set the hair down just at the end of his reach. He didn't move. I sat down and he watched me. I gave him a single nod and he reached for the hair. He held it between his thumb and fingers. He rubbed it gently and then brought it up to his nose. I closed my eyes and looked away. How I had made it so far without puking or crying I had no idea. I was proud of myself. I was doing well. I had helped to find a girl. I had helped to bring closure to a couple of families and I had found out my husband was cheating on me. Okay, maybe I hadn't done so well. It was better to know I guess. Better than continuing to live a lie.

"Viola Yates. Waterfront Park Trail. Under the Hawthorne Bridge. Cheating husband." he spoke quickly

"After her?" I moved forward

He sniffed my hair again and closed his eyes.

"I have a piece like this at home. I couldn't resist." he told me

"How?" I wanted to know

"In your dorm room. You were sleeping." he stated

"After Viola? Who was after Viola?" I asked again.

I needed to get my mind off of what he was saying.

"Kristen Peters. Near the river. By the Waterline Apartments." he stated

"Why?" I asked

"I was on a bike trail by the river. I could hear her boyfriend screaming at her before I even saw the apartments. This was a nightly activity for them. She didn't realize she deserved better. I had to save her." he explained

"What about all of these guys? Why don't you save them?" I asked him

"It's torture to lose someone you love. I save the women and torture the men." he winked

"Norma Harper? Is she next or where there others after Kristen Peters?" I asked

"Norma was next. Then Helen Fredrickson and Gail Cedar. You have those women." he assured me

I nodded "You saved them?"

"Yes, but you already know about them. Crystal Little. Sabrina King. Sabrina was the first one you asked about." he watched me

"I started with her because I thought she was the last one." I admitted

"She wasn't." he stated

"By my count we're up to thirteen. How many are there?" I asked

"Hmm I didn't get a chance to save Martha or the other woman who is still alive. So the total is..." he looked up

I wasn't sure if he was counting or trying to remember. I came in here trying to find out if there were any more than the nine that were found. Now we were already up to thirteen. At least Martha was safe. But could I save another? He wasn't going to give me the woman until he got what he wanted from me. I just didn't know what he wanted from me. How did he intend to save me from my cheating husband?

"Twenty and a half." he finally answered

"A half?" I was confused

"Melody Spader. Impregnated by her very own uncle." he shook his head

"A baby?" I was surprised.

"I cut the baby out but she didn't make it. It was too soon I suppose." he shrugged

"Where?" I demanded

"Where Northeast 33rd drive ends. Right beside the Columbia River." he answered

I glared at him and he tilted his head as he studied my expression.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked

"What do you think?" I shot back

"I didn't mean to upset you." he whispered

"How could it not upset me?" I shook my head

"Because she lost the child?" he asked

"She didn't lose it. You took it." I growled

"That child was part of a disgusting act." he told me

"A baby can't be disgusting. It's a baby. An innocent baby." I argued

"I did try to take it out." he offered

I jumped to my feet.

"Don't go." he pleaded

"I need water." I told him

"Let them bring us something." Vaughn suggested

"Can't I just go breathe for a second?" I begged

He took a deep breath and exhaled. He watched me for a moment before he spoke.

"Are you going to him?" he asked

"Hector?" I asked

"No. Carlos." he corrected

"No. He's not even here." I explained

"Are you sure?" he asked

"I'm not one hundred percent sure because I've been in here with you. If I assume he was in New Jersey the last time he tried to call me it hasn't been long enough for him to fly here." I tried to explain.

"Did you speak to him when he called?" Vaughn asked

"No. I ignored the call. I am obviously busy." I gestured around the room

"Was that the only reason you ignored it?" he asked me

"No" I admitted

He thought for a moment and then nodded.

"I trust you. Take your break. Don't be too long. Ten minutes?" he offered

I nodded "Thank you."

I barely made it to the bathroom before I threw up. My forearm was on the bowl and I rested my forehead against my cool skin. I brought my head up and took some deep breaths. I glanced at my wedding ring. I worried if the ring still represented the love Carlos and I shared together. Once I was finished I came out of the stall to find Agent Rutherford leaning against the sink. He was holding a portable toothbrush with toothpaste.

"You were prepared?" I asked

"You would be surprised how often this happens in my line of work. My wife had the idea to carry it with me." he told me

I brushed my teeth and splashed some water in my face. I added more soap as I scrubbed my arms. If there were a shower in this bathroom I would have used it. I felt dirty and not just from puking my brains out. I looked at myself in the mirror and cleaned up under my eyes where some mascara had drifted.

"Your friend is really worried about you and your husband is on his way." he announced

"What are you saying? You want me out?" I looked at him

He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair.

"It's up to you." he finally spoke

"That's not an answer." I put a hand on my hip

"Yeah. Yeah I want you fucking out of there. If you were my wife or my daughter I would be begging you to stay out of that room." he spoke quietly through gritted teeth. "Anyone can see the toll this is taking on you."

"But I'm not your wife or your daughter. I am a fellow agent." I reminded him

He closed his eyes and squeezed his mouth together tight.

"Get back in there and do your job. Keep your personal feelings out of it. You can see a shrink when this is all over. Watch your proximity. Don't let him get his hands on you. Get him to tell you the rest of the names and locations of the victims. There's a woman out there in God knows what condition and she's counting on you. She doesn't give a fuck whether or not your husband cheated on you. She needs you to find her." he commanded

I nodded and went for the door.

"I'm sorry." he muttered

"I know what I need to do." I spoke to him over my shoulder.

Hector was waiting outside of the door to the room where Vaughn was. I held up my hand to stop him from speaking. He held out a water in one hand and a chocolate bar in another. I nodded to him as I took them both. His eyes were soft and I don't know what. Something more. I didn't care. I looked away. I just needed to focus. I ate the chocolate bar in four big bites. I chugged the water and then handed him the wrapper and the empty bottle. I jumped when Rutherford tapped my shoulder. He handed me another water bottle and I went back into the room without another word.

I went in and set the water bottle down for Vaughn. I sat down in my chair and took deep breaths.

"Are you okay Stephanie?" he asked me

"I'm fine." I assured him

"You don't look fine. You look like someone who is smothered every time you try to take a break. I am sure you have men in your ear telling you how evil I am. Men in your ear telling you of your husband's innocence. Men in your ear begging you to leave." he took a drink

I didn't respond.

"Am I evil for trying to save you or is your husband evil for cheating on you?" He asked

Again I didn't respond.

"It's a very unpleasant task to inform you of your husband's affairs. I just can't bear to see you lied to and disrespected." he paused "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." I repeated

"I thought you weren't going to lie to me?" he asked

"What do you want me to tell you? Do you want me to say I'm happy? I'm not." I admitted

"I'm sorry for that. If we could have met under different circumstances then I would promise to make you happy. I am unable to make any kind of promise at the moment." he jiggled his leg shackles.

"Did you wait for me?" I asked him

"I didn't intend to get brought in so soon. I made an error." he acknowledged

"But did you wait for me?" I asked

"I planned to get caught in New Jersey. Things don't always go as planned." he finished his water

"You didn't answer my question." I informed him

"Yes." he answered

I took his water bottle and tossed it over by the door. Then it dawned on me.

"You know agent Perkins." I told him

"He owed me a favor." Vaughn nodded

"What favor?" I asked

"I'll tell you later." he promised

I decided to let it go for now. I needed to move on.

"Who was after Melody Slater?" I asked

"Patty Sparks" he announced

"Tell me about her." I ordered

"You will find her at the International Rose Tea Garden. She was raped by her step father." he told me

"How did you do it?" I asked

"I started at her wrist and slid the blade up to her elbow." he said

He spoke like it was no big deal. His voice had no inflection. Almost as if he was bored. I decided to block out the picture of the woman that was swimming around in my head.

"After her?" I went on

"Meredith Brightmon." he smiled "This is like a walk down memory lane."

"How and where?" I asked

"Lan Sun Chinese Garden. You will find two there. Meredith and her friend Diane Marsh. Both a quick and painless throat slit. They were sitting in a bar commiserating about their cheating husbands and how neither one of them were going to leave their men." he rolled his eyes.

"Are you ready to tell me where the missing woman is?" I asked

"Not just yet. I have something else to show you." he smiled

"No" I glared at him.

"No?" he asked

"I won't look until you tell me where she is." I stated

"Hmm" he thought "How about I tell you about the last three women?"

"Then what?" I asked

"Then you look and one more small favor and I will tell you." he promised

"Fine tell me." I agreed

"That's not really an answer." he argued

"I want to know where the last woman is." I stated

"Listen Stephanie. I will tell you about the last three. Then you will do me a favor and I will tell you how to find the woman." he informed me

"What favor?" I asked

"I just want you to listen to me and I want you to look at one more thing on that ipad." he explained

"You're not getting out of here." I told him

"I know that. I have a firm grip on reality. I know this is not a movie or a book. I am not going to try to make you take me out of here to give you the information. No matter what they think about me I am not crazy." he professed

"I know saving women by killing them sounds absurd. Think about it. How many abused women go back to their abusers? How many women ignore their husband's or boyfriend's cheating just to avoid the conflict? Just to avoid being alone. So many women just accept it." he shook his head

"I just want to help. I want to help you and I know I am going to serve time for my crimes. I know it will be worse because of the information I am giving you." he spoke freely

"Then why? Why me? Why now?" I asked

"I told you already. I didn't intend to get caught. This wasn't part of my plan, but I can make it work." he shrugged "It's always been you."

"Now what Vaughn?" I asked

"Stephanie. Please call me Sam." he suggested

"Okay Sam, tell me why do you need this favor and what is it?" I asked

"I need to save you. To save you most of all. You are the one with the pure heart." he took a breath "I was hoping to save you for myself because I knew I would never betray you. Obviously that can't happen."

"The favor?" I asked

"Let me educate you. Let me show you more of your story and tell you more about mine. I need someone to know. Okay?" he asked

I nodded

"The women? Rosie Wells was a stripper that let just about every man she ever met abuse her. You will find her body behind the Casa Diablo strip club. I was able to bury my knife right at the brain stem." he motioned with his hand to the back of his neck.

"It's a very difficult spot to hit but if get it just right..." he smiled

"Two more." I reminded him

"You know I hate to do this to you. I really hate to show you all of the ugly. You impress me that you are still able to be who you are. You have never let the ugly seep into your heart." he smiled at me

"I'm glad I can impress you." I told him

"The only time I ever considered killing a man was that cop. The one who tried to hurt you over and over." he confided

"Who?" I didn't want to give him any names.

"You know I'm talking about Morelli. It seems like your friends keep him away pretty well." he shrugged

"Well, I'm glad you didn't kill him." I admitted

"Really?" he inquired

"Of course." I answered quickly

He chuckled. "There is no one else like you."

There was a knock at the door. We both snapped our heads at the sound. Hector came in holding out a phone. I immediately started to put my hand up but the look on his face stopped me.

"It's your father." he told me

I glanced at Vaughn and he nodded.

"Put it on speaker." he commanded

I took the phone and hit the speaker button.

"Hi dad. You're on speaker." I told him

"Stephanie. It's good to hear your voice. I wish you would have told me where you were going." he sighed

"It's work. I should be back home in a couple of days." I informed him

"Are you okay?" he asked

"Governor Juniak?" Vaughn asked

"Yes?" my father answered

"This is Sam Vaughn. I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for saving Stephanie from those terrible shrews that claimed to be her parents. You made her life better." he told my father

"I love her. I would never want to be without her. She made my life complete. It would kill me to lose her." my father told him

"I know how you feel." Vaughn agreed

"I'm fine dad. I am working so I need to go." I explained

"Okay Steph. Just know that I love you." he sighed again

"I love you too." I sniffled

"Don't worry Governor. She will be coming home to you. She will need to lean on you as she travels down the difficult road ahead of her. Please watch out for her. Don't let her be hurt and keep her heart safe." Vaughn ordered

"I will always take care of my daughter. I will stand by her side no matter what she is going through." My father agreed

"Thank you." Vaughn told him

"Bye dad" I waited for him

"Bye Steph." I clicked to disconnect the call.

"When I looked into your past and found out the hell you endured from those people I was furious. When I saw that your birth father pulled you away from the darkness and helped put the light back in I was very pleased." he smiled at me

"Thank you." I sighed "Will you please tell me about the woman who is alive?"

"I have two more to tell you about first." he reminded me

"Okay." I nodded

"Jane Milner. Poor girl. Raped by her birth father and then her step father. She had to get an abortion. That night she went out drinking and spilled it all to me. It's fate that these women even come to me before I can find them." he was pleased with himself

"Where?" I asked

"There's a movie brewpub called the Mission. She is buried behind there. Femoral artery slice." He volunteered

The tears were welling in my eyes. I knew he only had one more to tell me about. Then he would want something from me. He wanted to show me something else and then I would have to play his game to find the last girl. He had to know the minute we found her I would be leaving. leaving and never to return. I couldn't get out of here soon enough. I was filled with terror over what he wanted to show me. Consumed with fear over what he would want as a favor.

"Zoey Crowe." he stated

"She's the last one?" I asked

"The last one I was able to save yes." he admitted

"Where?" I wanted more

"The trunk of blue Honda civic. Parked next to the dumpster at her apartment complex. Slit throat." he finished

He folded his hands together and sat back in the chair. I was nauseous. A chill ran through my body. I wanted Carlos. I wanted to feel safe and warm and wrapped in his arms. No! I couldn't want that right now. He had things to answer for first. I wondered if we could get past this. Would he have a reasonable explanation? Maybe if they were just one-time only affairs I could forgive him. Maybe if he was apologetic. If we went to therapy or counseling. I still couldn't understand how he could do this. It seemed impossible, but I had seen it with my own eyes.

"Stephanie?" Vaughn was trying to get my attention.

"Yes?" I asked

"I need you to use the Ipad again." he informed me

I sighed and reached for it. I clicked the button to wake it up. My hands were shaking. I didn't know if I could take much more. I couldn't bear to see Carlos betraying me again. Throwing our marriage vows away like they meant nothing. Would it be another hotel? Another Starbucks? How would he meet up with the next one and who was she?

"Open the dropbox." he commanded

I nodded as I clicked on it. I glanced at him as I hovered above TheWrongMan folder. He nodded and I pressed it.

"Touch the one labeled Jeanne Ellen Burrows." he ordered

My breath caught. I knew her. She was that woman from the Charity Ball. She had tried to get in the way of our apprehension of Stone Pivot. Carlos said he had run into her a few weeks before that while he was trying to catch an FTA. I remembered how she looked talking to him at the ball. I was jealous but he assured me I had no need to be. We watched the screen together as a video began.

The screen was dark and then I could only hear loud music. It was a club. The camera focused on Jeanne Ellen. She was watching something. The camera showed her profile but I knew it was her. Carlos came charging towards her. He grabbed both of her shoulders and shoved her up against the wall. He covered her body with his. I could only see the back of his head now. Then Hector was on the screen. He moved to cover Carlos' back. He was standing directly behind him. I wasn't sure if he was protecting his back or blocking them from view. Maybe both. Then the screen went blank.

Vaughn sat there in silence. He watched me rewind the video and watch it again. I repeated it until I had seen the video five times. Even thought the club was dark and the sound only picked up the music I knew what I saw. This wasn't fake. These weren't actors or look-a-likes. I saw my husband grab Jeanne Ellen Burrows and slam her against the wall before he covered her body with his. I saw the man I viewed as a brother stand there covering them. Whether he was hiding their indiscretion or covering my husbands back he still knew of the betrayal. He knew and never said a word to me.

I tossed the Ipad and it flew a couple of feet before landing on the floor. I leaned back in the chair and rested my hand over my face. It wasn't enough. I scrubbed both hands over my face and then bent over. I ran my hands through my hair and left them there. I buried my head between my legs and tried to stare at the ground. The tears were coming and I was doing everything I could to keep them at bay. My chest shook and my body was racked with sobs. I couldn't control myself. My heart ached.

I slowly moved my elbows to rest on my legs and tried to pull myself together. Vaughn had still not spoken. I heard the door open. I rested my chin on one hand and looked to the side. I saw shoes and then looked all the way up until I saw his face. Hector. I stared at him for a moment. I allowed him to see the tears sliding down my face. He didn't try to speak. He took one step forward and I glared at him. I didn't yell or scream. I looked at him and spoke calmly.

"Get. Out." The two words came out in a hoarse whisper

"Angelito" he began

I pulled myself up in my seat and kept my back straight before I repeated myself.

"Get. Out." each words was soaked in venom

I turned away from him and focused back on the floor. I counted to ten and was just about to repeat my words for a third time when I finally heard the click of the door. The room was silent except for the occasional sob that escaped my lips. I waited until I had fully regained my composure before pulling myself back up in the seat. I took deep breaths and wiped at the tears that remained on my face.

"I'm sorry Stephanie. I am really sorry. I never wanted to hurt you." Vaughn spoke softly

"Sure." I told him

"This is why I chose to save all of those women in the way that I did. It's like tearing off the band aid." he shrugged

"Now tell me. Tell me about the woman who is still alive." I ordered him

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked me

"Just please tell me now." I begged "I've done everything you've asked of me."

"I know you have. That's what makes you so special Stephanie." he paused "I wish things could have been different."

"Please." I plead

"Let me just tell you my story." he suggested

"Okay." I nodded

"Like you I had family issues. Unlike you the truth didn't save me. Instead it cursed me forever. I got a call when I was sixteen. A young man looking for his brother. We went over the facts and specifics. We even got a DNA test before finally agreeing we were actually brothers. Our mother died when I was four years old. Turns out I had a little sister a big sister and a big brother." he paused and let out a deep breath.

"My adoptive parents were nice people but I never truly felt like I was home. I always knew something was missing. The young man, Bob, he gave me hope. I was excited to find out I had siblings I grew up as an only child with my adopted parents." his smile dropped

I waited but he didn't speak. He was staring off at nothing at all. Maybe remembering? At this point I just wanted the last woman's name and location so I could get out of here. Maybe I would move back home. Perhaps I would go to work full-time with the FBI. I would move to Washington DC.

"When I met Bob I was excited as he told me about my siblings." his voice was sullen

"Sounds like a good thing." I shrugged

"It does, doesn't it?" he paused "You see his father had died and in tying up all of the loose ends he found a paper about me. He asked an Aunt and Uncle about the family. He found out our father beat our mother and then suddenly reformed when she announced that she was pregnant. We were apparently all one big happy family for a time. My mother was raped in the parking lot after work one night. Turns out dear old mom was a pole dancer. She decided to keep the baby and give up the pole. My father, her husband didn't want the child but he tolerated it. When my mother died in a car accident my father was overwhelmed with four kids. He called around to different adoption agencies until he found the right one. Some place offered him $50 in fees and he couldn't refuse. He put his one son up for adoption and kept the other three. The son that had been conceived through the rape of his wife. That one son was me."

I felt my mouth drop open. Vaughn had on a blank face. He stared into my eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand. Your father kept the other kids?" I was shocked

"Not my father. He was my mother's husband. My father was a rapist." he stated

"Wasn't there any other family?" I asked

"Of course there was. Two sets of Grandparents. Aunts. Uncles. No one wanted me. No one cared when he sold me off." he explained

"Sam, I'm so sorry." I told him

"The best part is. My brother Bob is the son of a wealthy business man. He was the product of our mother's affair. My other two siblings? Also both the products of affairs my mother had." he shook his head.

"Uhmm" I didn't know what to say.

"My little sister is a now a prostitute. My older brother Bob is hooked on pain pills. Even though he is an FBI agent he can easily be bought off. My older sister? She died of a drug overdose a couple of years ago. If someone would have saved my mother from her abusive husband none of us would have to suffer. If someone had saved her after the rapist? I wouldn't be here." he released a deep breath

"That's one hell of a story Sam." I paused "Buy you had your adopted parents. Were they good people?"

He nodded "They were. They were until they found out I was a product of rape. They kicked me out. Afraid I would be a rapist myself. I was sixteen years old. Again I was thrown away,"

"I am truly sorry all of that happened to you. You didn't deserve that." I told him

We sat in silence for a few minutes just staring at each other. I didn't know what more to say. His story repeated in my mind. It made sense. It didn't give him an excuse or valid reason to hurt so many women but it made sense. I was trying to figure out how to ask him about the last woman when I heard him clear his throat.

"I am ready to ask the favor." he told me

"And then will you tell me about the woman?" I asked

"Yes I will." he agreed as I nodded

"I watched you from a far for so long now. I haven't felt your touch since we brushed hands in school. I just want one hug." he explained

I took a deep breath. This man repulsed me but at the same time I found myself feeling sorry for him. I came here to get the information and I got nearly all of it. He confessed and gave locations for all of the women he had murdered. He gave us the information that allowed us to rescue Martha Romero. I had to finish this. I looked up to him and nodded. I turned to look at the mirror on the wall.

"Send in Agent Rutherford." I spoke to the mirror.

We waited in silence for at least five whole minutes before the agent came in. He had his suit jacket off. No belt. No gun. Nothing on him that could be seen as far as weapons went. He held a key in his hand. I watched as he walked around the table and pulled Vaughn to his feet. He patted him down twice and then turned to face me.

"Are you sure?" he asked me

I had no words so I simply nodded. I watched as the Agent unhooked the leg shackles from the floor. He tugged Vaughn by the arm and led him around the table. Both men stopped and I rose to my feet. Vaughn held open his arms and I took a step forward. My legs felt like lead. You can do this. Do it for the woman. It's safe. No Spidey sense telling me this was wrong. I can do this. I gave myself a quick pep talk.

I moved forward again until I was nearly face to face with Sam Vaughn. He studied my face and waited. I nodded and he pulled me into his arms. He let out a long sigh of relief. I stood unmoving. A few seconds went by and I started pulling away. He pulled me tighter to hm and squeezed me close to him for a final embrace. He quickly released me and I staggered back. Rutherford walked him back to his seat and reattached the leg shackles.

"Bob's last name is Perkins." Vaughn explained. "The woman's name is Meredith Rivera. Her husband is cheating on her with a man."

"He smiled at me. You will find her in Buckman Terrace Apartments. It's across from Voodoo Doughnuts. She is in apartment 326." he finished

"Thank you." I nodded

"Thank you for your time and company. You have no idea how much I enjoyed our chat" he told me

I got to my feet and moved towards the door. I stopped and turned to look at Vaughn one more time.

"Goodbye Sam." I told him

"Goodbye Stephanie." I heard before I stepped into the hallway.

A strong hand grabbed me and pulled me against him. I knew the smell. I knew the feel. My body was a traitor. My body melted into his. I allowed myself a few seconds to be held. Held for the final time by my husband. I mustered up all of the strength I had as I lifted my arms and laid my hands on his chest, I used everything I had to shove him away from me. I saw the look of surprise in his face.

I slapped him across the face. His head moved to the side and then quickly refocused on me. I hadn't even realized that I was crying but I could feel the tears moving down my cheeks. I pulled further away from him and stood still. Damn it, I still loved this man. He didn't love me. My husband had me fooled.

"Give Lester my shares of Rangeman. I want nothing to do with you." I spoke in between sobs.

"Babe"

"FUCK YOU CARLOS!" I screamed "Go to one of your whores."

"I love you Steph." he told me

"You don't love me. I doubt you ever did." I glared at him

I turned to walk away and crashed into Hector. He tried to wrap his arms around me but I pulled away.

"I will never forgive you." I told him

The sobs consumed me. I pushed past him and ran towards the exit.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16- Twenty-six years old- PART 3

My vision was blurry when I reached the parking lot. I couldn't imagine what I looked like. The tears streaming down my face. My breath kept catching. I was trying to take deep breaths so I could gain control of my breathing. I looked around and remembered I didn't have my car here. Hector had rented a car for us when we arrived. I didn't have the keys. I didn't have my purse. I let a curse slip through my lips and turned around. I went back in the door and straight to the observation room. I heard loud voices and arguing. All three men froze when I entered.

"Did they find Meredith Rivera? Is she safe?" I asked the agent through hiccups.

"Yes. Thanks to you she is safe. They are en route to the hospital for her to be checked out. That seems to just be a formality." he explained

"Good. I need a ride to the airport." I was still having an issue catching my breath.

Rutherford jumped to his feet and I grabbed my purse from the desk. Carlos reached out to grab my arm and I yanked it away before he could touch me. Hector shot me a look, but I ignored him. Rutherford moved around me as he pulled out his keys.

"Let me take you." Hector pled

"I have a ride." I told him

"Babe" Carlos croaked out

I just shook my head. I closed my eyes for a second to regain my composure. The only thing I wanted at that moment was for Carlos to hold me in his arms. To feel the comfort of his warm hug. I couldn't. I wouldn't. Then visions danced through my head. Emily Gaines. Melinda Reeves. Jeanne Ellen Burrows. Damn it! I didn't wan to get into this right now. I didn't want to talk about this with him. Not now. I just couldn't bear to hear him say he had been unfaithful.

"Can we go?" I asked Rutherford.

He nodded and I followed him out of the room. I could hear movement behind me and knew Carlos and Hector were following. I stopped and whipped around to look at them.

"Do not follow me. I don't want to see or talk to either one of you right now." I glared at them both

Hector nodded before he looked at his feet. Carlos' eyes never left mine. He looked miserable. I turned back around and followed Rutherford through the exit and into the parking lot. He moved towards a dark green sedan. I followed him and got into the passenger seat. I clicked on the belt and closed my eyes. I took slow deep breaths to keep control of my emotions as I laid my head back against the seat.

"Do you need to go back to your hotel?" he asked me

"No. I can replace anything I leave behind. Anything I need is in my purse." I told him

"I can take you there and make sure no one bothers you while you pack up." he offered

"I don't want to deal with it right now. I just can't." I wiped away at my tears.

"I can't thank you enough for all that you did in there." he told me

"I did my job. Though right now I feel like I did a shit job because I let him control so much of our conversations." I shook my head

"You didn't have much of a choice. Our situation didn't allow a lot of time for finesse. His prior knowledge of you should have had you pulling yourself off of the case right away. I should have pulled you out." he informed me

"I know. I just couldn't do it. When you said he hadn't spoken to anyone else I didn't feel like I had a choice. When he gave us Martha and the first few bodies were exactly where he told us they would be...well I knew I had to keep going until we got the information on Meredith." I explained

"I can't tell you how truly incredible this is. You got him to give you everything in less than forty-eight hours. That's only if I count the first day when you went in there and said nothing at all." he remarked

I just nodded

"I know the bureau asked a lot from you. I know I asked a lot from you. Was it worth it?" he asked

"Yes. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. Finding out my husband betrayed me and knowing this will most likely bring an end to my marriage is worth it to save two lives." I sniffled

"And bring closure to seventeen families. Don't forget that. Those families would have never had proof whether their daughter, mother or sister were still alive or not. They will have a body to bury. You have given these families a small amount of comfort and a lot of closure. Vaughn's confessions will also guarantee that he never sees the outside of a jail again." Rutherford reminded me

"So yes, it was worth it." I repeated

"I will make sure to keep as much of your personal business out of the reports made available to other agents. I will personally do my best to keep your personal life out of as much of this entire case as I can." he tried to comfort me.

"Thanks." I sniffled

"You do know the things Vaughn showed you weren't really proof of infidelity. Obviously you had no knowledge of what he showed you. I am sure you need to address why secrets were kept from you. Neither the pictures or the video really proved anything at all." he pointed out

"I have a lot to think about." I nodded

"Are you going home?" he asked as we took the exit for the airport.

"No. I need to be alone for a while." I told him

"That makes sense." he agreed. "Do you have some place to go?" he asked

I nodded as we pulled up to the terminal. I quickly unbuckled and jumped out onto the curb. Before I could shut the door Rutherford was in front of me. I stopped myself before I ran right into him. He reached out his hand and I shook it.

"Thank you again Agent Manoso. Without your help..."he trailed off

"You're welcome." I gave him a tight smile.

"Anything I can do for you?" he offered

"No. I'm fine thanks." I answered

"I owe you." he told me

I shook my head "No. You don't owe me anything."

"If you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods again I would love to have you working for our office. Though I am pretty sure after this case you will be getting quite a few offers." he smiled

"Thank you for the ride. I need to go." I told him

"Be careful" he said

I went into the terminal and began scanning the departure screen. There was no way I was going home. There was no way I was ready to face this all. Especially with friends and family in my ear, offering their opinions. Denial would be easier right now. Denial would be much more comfortable and maybe even denial could calm this ache in my chest. There was a flight to Las Vegas leaving in two hours. Okay, Vegas it is. I've never been so maybe I can make this fun. Maybe I can gamble and get my mind off of things. Maybe I'll stay there forever and become a pole dancer. Even the thought brought back memories from Vaughn.

I rushed over to the ticket counter and forked over my credit card. I never even asked or heard how much the ticket cost. I would have happily paid $1000 to get out of Portland as quick as possible. I was hoping that Carlos and Hector wouldn't come to the airport. I was hoping they would both respect my need for space. Carlos. Damn it. I know he loves me. We have been through distance and all kinds of difficulties in our relationship and always made it work. I know I shouldn't jump to conclusions. I know I should hear him out. Maybe he has valid reasons for his meetings. It was that video that put me over the top. Watching it time and time again. Searching over Hector's shoulder and being able to see how Carlos seemed to be whispering in her ear.

Stop! Stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about that room. Where's a bar? I need something. I made my way closer to my departure gate and found a bar. I went straight to a bar stool and placed my order. One pina colada for me. Forget the beer or the hard stuff. I wanted to feel adventurous and fun. I looked down at my wedding ring. His face was in my mind. Our wedding day. Exchanging our vows.

" _ **May the ring I give you today remind you, all our days of this wonderful moment and the love we feel for each other that will last through all time."**_

I know my love for him will always last. Love had never been a question for me. I loved this man for so long and I knew I would love him forever. It was hard to even imagine my life without him. Even if these meetings were innocent. Even if there was a reason for the Jenna Ellen incident why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he tell me he was meeting women? Why didn't he mention running into Jeanne Ellen? Why didn't Hector tell me about Jeanne? Why all of the secrets?

"Can I buy you a drink?" a man asked me

The man had a slight accent, but I couldn't detect where it was from. I turned to look at him. Holy shit! He was hot and I knew him. I couldn't place him right now, but I knew him. His skin was tan. He had brown hair that had a wave to it. He had piercing blue eyes. I wasn't usually into facial hair but his was well kept. Thin and close to the face he had a beard and mustache slightly thicker than a 5 o'clock shadow. He was well built. Obviously he works out. His muscles weren't on overload like Hal. Not necessarily intimidating but he had a hint of bad boy.

"Sure." I answered

He caught the bartender's attention and ordered a second pina coloda for me. I smiled and nodded and he flashed me a huge smile in return. I was still trying to place him when he introduced himself. He held out his hand for me to shake.

"Henrik Lundqvist" he told me

"Stephanie Manoso." I shook his hand

"Where are you headed?" he asked

"Vegas." I smiled

"Me too." he returned my smile.

"Business or pleasure?" he asked me

"Not business." I answered him

"Not pleasure either?" he was curious

"Escape." I took a sip from my drink.

He nodded. "Me too."

"I'm sorry. This is weird but you look so familiar to me." I told him

"I get that a lot." he winked

"Should I know who you are?" I asked him

"Where are you from?" he inquired

"Jersey." I responded

"Then you should know who I am." he teased

"Oh wait." It finally hit me. "You play for the Rangers?"

"Guilty." he nodded

"My favorite hockey team." I told him

"Glad to hear it. You have good taste in hockey teams." he flashed me his smile.

"What position do you play?" I asked him

"Goalie." he responded

"You won the ESPN Humanitarian of the year award." I suddenly remembered

"Wow. Most people start ticking off my stats. That's pretty impressive that you remember that." he raised both eyebrows.

"I try to remember what's important." I explained

"We are now boarding for flight 326 to Las Vegas at gate 32." We heard the announcement.

"That's us." he smiled

I nodded and followed him as we left the small bar. When we got to the gate I got into the line. Henrik went to the check in desk and spoke to the flight attendant who stood there. He came back to me with a smile across his face.

"You just got upgraded. My manager was supposed to be sitting next to me but he got held up. I got your seat moved." he handed me a new ticket.

"Oh uhm" I was speechless.

"Hope you don't mind." he looked worried

"No. I appreciate it." I smiled

"Follow me." he motioned his head towards the door.

I followed him to the door where the flight attendant scanned our tickets. We went down the jet way and boarded the plane. We were in row three in first class. He set his suitcase in the overhead bin and then turned to me.

"Window or aisle?" he asked

"Window." I responded

He moved to the side and gestured for me to move in. I slid into the spot and quickly buckled my seat belt. Once he was settled I turned to him and waited until he looked at me.

"Thanks for the upgrade." I told him

"My pleasure." he nodded "You looked like you needed a little pick-me up."

"I should warn you that I am a nervous flyer." I admitted

"Not a problem." he assured me.

As the plane took off I white knuckled the arm rests. Henrik reached over and patted my hand. I looked down at his and saw a wedding ring. I looked up at his face and smiled. I was feeling a little more comfortable with him now. Not that I am uncomfortable around hot guys. I work with hot guys at Rangeman on a daily basis. I just don't want him to confuse being friendly with being flirty. I wasn't flirting was I?

"Thank you" I told him

"My daughter gets nervous when flying too." he explained

"You have a daughter?" I asked

"I have two. Charlise and Juli. Charlise is five and Juli is two." he nodded

He had a far off look in his eyes. I imagined he was picturing his daughters.

"Where are they?" I asked him

"Back in New York with my wife Therese." he smiled

I returned his smile.

"Do you have any kids?" he asked me

"Not yet. My husband and I were just deciding if it was time to start." I was honest

"Still thinking?" he inquired

"Just have a lot going on with my job right now." I explained

"Me too. I needed some R&R so Therese suggested I come to Vegas. I will do a couple of interviews and then I can meet up with some of my friends and relax." he told me his plans.

"That sounds nice." I agreed

"Are you meeting up with friends?" he asked

"No. This was sort of a last minute trip. I've never been to Vegas." I admitted

"Ah! Well you have to let me help you. Do you have a hotel room?" he asked me

"No. I figured I would walk around and find one on the strip." I told him

"No way. I am going to make sure you get a room at the Mandarin Oriental. It's the best hotel in Vegas. No casino. They specialize in relaxation. They are known for having the best masseuses on the strip. Believe me it's true. I have a car picking me up. You can ride along with me so you don't have to get a rental car." he smiled

"I need to get some clothes. I don't have any luggage with me." I felt my cheeks go pink

"The Crystal shopping complex is right next to the hotel. They have everything." he told me

"Sounds great." I smiled

"Don't worry about a thing. I got ya." he winked

I relaxed back into my seat. This was going to be fun. Shopping therapy and spa treatments. I would definitely be getting a massage. I just needed some time to decompress and get my head together. Then I will go home and sort out my marriage. I also needed to sort out my relationship with Hector I couldn't bear a life without my husband and the man who had become another brother to me.

When we landed Henrik led me to baggage claim. There was a man holding a sign with his name. The man grabbed Henrik's luggage and led us out to the waiting limo. Some press were there and began snapping pictures. A few yelled out to ask who I was but we ignored them. Henrik motioned for me to get in the limo and slid in beside me. He was on his cell phone making arrangements and I pulled out my phone next.

When I turned it on I saw there were voicemails and text messages. I read the text messages first.

 _ **Carlos called and told me all was okay please call me- Dad**_

 _ **Please call me- Carlos**_

 _ **Call me Angelito- Hector**_

 _ **Are you okay?- Lester**_

 _ **I love you- Carlos**_

 _ **Text me- Sal**_

 _ **Are you okay?- Dad**_

 _ **Call me we need to talk- Carlos**_

 _ **Where are you?- Carlos**_

I responded to the messages.

 _ **Dad- I am okay. Need some time to decompress and relax. Will call you when I get home.**_

 _ **Sal- Everything is fine. I'll see you when I get back to Jersey**_

 _ **Lester- Don't worry about me. I'll see you when I get back to Jersey.**_

I decided not to answer Carlos or Hector yet. I didn't really know what to say. I didn't want to say the wrong thing out of hurt or anger. I listened to my voicemail next.

 _ **Babe I love you. We need to talk. Please call me. At least let me know you're okay.- Carlos**_

 _ **Angelito I am sorry for keeping secrets I will tell you everything if you please call me. I need to see you- Hector**_

 _ **Stephanie I talked to Agent Rutherford. I am so proud of you and the work you did in finding the missing girls. I know something happened to make you upset. Please call me. I am worried about you. Love you- Dad**_

 _ **Hey best friend I heard you are having a bad day. I'm here for you. Tell me whose ass I need to kick. By the way there is no way in hell I am taking your share of Rangeman. You are stuck with the company and you are stuck with me. I'm always on your side Beautiful- Lester**_

I turned my phone on silent and placed it back in my purse.

"We are all set. I was able to get you a room at the Mandarin." Henrik smiled

He got a call and I glanced over when I heard the voices. He was on Facetime with his family.

"Hey Therese meet my new friend." he told his wife

He leaned the phone towards me and I waved at the woman on the screen. She was beautiful. Blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes.

"Hello." I told her

"Hi." she smiled

"This is Stephanie. She needed a friend." he explained

"You're a good man Henrik." she told him

"Yeah yeah." he brushed it off

"What do you do Stephanie?" she asked me

"I am an FBI agent." I answered

I decided to skip mentioning helping the PD or being part owner of Rangeman.

"Wow. Are you on a case?" she asked

"Just finished a very difficult one." I admitted

"Where's your family?" she asked me

"My husband is in New Jersey. I'm just trying to decompress before I go home." I explained

"I understand that. When I need a break I head to the Mandarin and spend the day in the spa. Hope you will make time for that." she smiled

"That is definitely part of the plan." I returned her smile.

"We're pulling up to the hotel." he told his wife

"Okay hun. I love you. Relax and have fun." she told him

"Love you too. Kiss the girls. I will call you in the morning so I can talk to them." his voice was excited

"Goodnight and Stephanie?" she added

"Yes?" I waited

"Hope you can relax and get a genuine smile back on your face." she told me

"Thank you." I sighed

His wife could even tell that I was forcing a smile. He disconnected his call as the driver opened the door. As soon as we got in we rode the elevator to the twenty-third floor where the hotel lobby was located. He got me checked in at the front desk and handed me my key. We exchanged numbers and promised to meet up for lunch or dinner the next day. We rode the elevator together and I told him goodnight as I got off on the Twentieth floor. I was booked into the Mandarin Studio room. Henrik said he chose it for me because it had a big soaker tub and in-room dining.

I glanced at the room service menu as soon as I got in. I had ten minutes left to order before they closed down for the night. I called in and ordered a cheeseburger with fries. I also added an order of NY Cheesecake. I resisted the urge to order more desserts. I laid back on the bed and waited for the food to arrive. The server woke me up when he knocked on the door. I signed for the food and gave him a tip. As soon as my plate was empty I slipped off my pants and climbed into the bed. The sheets felt amazing and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

When I woke up I decided to take a long hot shower. There was a speaker in the bathroom so I turned it on to keep my mind busy. The song that played fist was a song by Jason Mraz. The lyrics of the song hit me and gave me some perspective.

 _Details in the Fabric_

 _Calm down_  
 _Deep breaths_  
 _And get yourself dressed instead_  
 _Of running around_  
 _And pulling on your threads_  
 _And breaking yourself up_

 _If it's a broken part, replace it_  
 _If it's a broken arm, then brace it_  
 _If it's a broken heart, then face it_

 _And hold your own_  
 _Know your name_  
 _And go your own way_  
 _Hold your own_  
 _Know your name_  
 _And go your own way_

 _And everything will be fine_

 _Hang on_  
 _Help is on the way_  
 _And stay strong_  
 _I'm doing everything_

 _Hold your own_  
 _Know your name_  
 _And go your own way_  
 _Hold your own_  
 _Know your name_  
 _And go your own way_

 _And everything, everything will be fine_  
 _Everything_

 _Are the details in the fabric_  
 _Are the things that make you panic_  
 _Are your thoughts results of static cling?_

 _Are the things that make you blow_  
 _Hell, no reason, go on and scream_  
 _If you're shocked it's just the fault_  
 _Of faulty manufacturing._

 _Everything will be fine_  
 _Everything in no time at all_  
 _Everything_

 _Hold your own_  
 _And know your name_  
 _And go your own way_

 _Are the details in the fabric (Hold your own, know your name)_  
 _Are the things that make you panic_  
 _Are your thoughts results of static cling? (Go your own way)_

 _Are the details in the fabric (Hold your own, know your name)_  
 _Are the things that make you panic (Go your own way)_  
 _Is it Mother Nature's sewing machine?_

 _Are the things that make you blow (Hold your own, know your name)_  
 _Hell no reason go on and scream_  
 _If you're shocked it's just the fault (Go your own way)_  
 _Of faulty manufacturing_

 _Everything will be fine_  
 _Everything in no time at all_  
 _Hearts will hold_

I got myself together and put back on my clothes from the night before. It was time for some shopping. I took the Sky Bridge to Crystals ready to do some serious damage to my credit card. Most of the shops were exclusive to Las Vegas and every single shop was high end. I grabbed a Starbucks coffee as soon as I went in. I let out a deep sigh as I passed the Bvlgari shop. That was the company where Carlos had started ordering his shower gel from. The scent had driven me insane and he quickly stocked up on it. I headed to the second level and straight into the Stella Mcartney store to get underwear and bras.

I went shoe crazy. I went to Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Prada. I headed to Dolce and Gabbana and Versace for some clothes. Along the way I poked my head into stores I had never heard of. They carried clothes from Italy and France. I made sure to stop at Louis Vuiton for a new suitcase and purse. I never had so many name brand clothes in my life. I still got some jeans and t-shirts but I also picked up some amazing dresses along with a silk pant suit and so much more. I was smiling from ear to ear as I went from store to store.

At noon I headed to the spa. I had a salad and then signed up for my treatments. I signed up for the 'Journey into stillness' treatment and began with my foot scrub. The day continued with an acupressure face and scalp massage followed by a full body massage. I enjoyed the steam room and vitality pool. There was even an ice fountain. I hadn't even heard of half of the treatments I was offered. I finished it all off with a manicure and pedicure. I left the spa feeling completely relaxed and somewhat boneless.

I was contemplating going back to the room to take a nap when I got a text from Henrik inviting me to a late lunch. We agreed to meet in one of the restaurants in the lobby. He gave me a quick hug when he saw me and we were led to a small table. I told him about my morning and he told me he had hit the casino first thing and was already up 5k. After we ordered our food Henrik's curiosity got the better of him.

"So Stephanie, you know why I am escaping. I am curious as to why you are escaping." Henrik said

"Well uhm..." I bit my lower lip.

"I understand if you don't want to talk. Just thought I might be able to be a good listener." he offered

"It's a long story." I told him

"You look like you need to tell it to someone." he noticed

"Okay." I nodded

So Henrik leaned back and sipped on his wine as I told him my story. I gave him a brief summary of how Carlos and I had grown up. I told him about distraction jobs and how I met Hector. Next I explained all about Rangeman, the FBI and my work with the TPD. I told him a little about my parents and how Carlos and I had gotten married so young. I finished by telling him about Carlos bringing up the topic of wanting to have children.

"Stephanie you have led an interesting life." he told me as our food arrived.

"Yeah. I guess I have." I nodded

"I wouldn't want to escape any of that." he told me

"Me neither. Well, that was until the last 72 hours." I took a drink

"What happened?" he pushed

So I told him. I told him all about Vaughn and the women. I spared him the gory details and didn't give him any names. He gasped a few times in shock when I told him about the murders and how Vaughn had known me in the past. I told him about the pictures and the video. I told him about cutting off a piece of hair and puking my brains out. I explained how Hector looked so hurt and how Carlos had come to Portland. I went into great detail about how I felt both victorious and completely defeated at the same time. He did a lot of head nodding as he ate and listened.

"So now I am here in Las Vegas." I shrugged

"By the way thank you. Thank you for taking me under your wing. I needed to be steered in the right direction. I am feeling better after my spa day and shopping spree." I smiled

"Wow. That is some story. I can definitely see why you would want to escape. I'm glad I could help out a little." he smiled

"Thanks." I took a bite.

"Now, I actually have some experience here." he noted

"What?" I asked after taking another bite of stir-fry.

"I can't speak for your husband but..." he cleared his throat. "You are thinking about what Vaughn said so let me give you another perspective."

I nodded for him to go on as I ate.

"If a photographer took our picture right now and put it on the news or in the paper it would look like a romantic dinner. Every time I am on the road I have women throwing themselves at me. Literally grabbing my ass and my dick when I don't react quickly enough." he began

"Really?" my eyes grew wide

"Really." he nodded

I took a drink of my wine and motioned for him to go on.

"Pictures are taken of me with women all of the time. Like coming out of an airport with a beautiful woman and getting into a limo together." he winked

"But then I met your wife on Facetime. You were just being friendly to me. She didn't look jealous or worried at all." I argued.

"Well my wife is more experienced in this. You know that I was just being friendly and I know that but think of how it looked. Think of how it will look on one of those entertainment shows or in one of the tabloid papers." he suggested

I nodded "I get what you mean."

"The important thing is that I tell my wife everything before she reads it or sees it. I want her to completely trust me so I am transparent in everything I do." he explained

"I get it." I nodded

"I am sure some media already have me divorced and married to you in some Elvis chapel." he laughed

"I guess you're right." I couldn't help but agree.

"Now, I don't know your husband at all so I can't speak for him. Do you love him?" he asked me

"I can't imagine my life without him. I love him more than I ever thought possible." I answered honestly

"Then don't you owe him the chance to explain? Even if Vaughn is right and your husband has bad news for you, he still deserves the right to tell you his side doesn't he?" Henrik asked

I thought for only a second.

"Yes. Absolutely. He does deserve at least that much after everything we have shared together." I smiled

"Why don't you go back to your room and call him? Or at least call your dad to get advice from someone who knows you both better." he suggested

"That sounds like a good idea." I agreed

"We can always meet up later for dinner. If you would rather gamble I can get you in to a high rollers VIP poker game." he offered "It would give you the chance to dress up. I am assuming you got some amazing new clothes."

"That sounds fun. I got some very amazing new clothes." I smiled

We finished our meal and I picked up the bill before Henrik could argue. It was the least that I could do. I never expected to find a friend at the Portland Airport and I certainly didn't expect him to help me as he had. I was ready to talk to Carlos. Henrik walked me to the elevator and wished me good luck. He was headed off for his interviews.

When I got to my room my nerves got the best of me. I wasn't ready to call yet. I so desperately wanted to hear Carlos tell me that it was all a misunderstanding. But, what if he didn't. What Henrik and his wife had worked because he was honest with her about everything. Carlos had hid things from me and Hector had helped him. If you did nothing wrong you wouldn't need to hide it or keep secrets. The doubt was creeping back in.

I took a hot shower

I was dreaming that someone was stroking my hair. It felt comforting to me and I relaxed into the fluffy pillow. When I woke up the room was dark. I felt someone stroking my hair. I turned quickly and my eyes settled on his. His chocolate brown eyes that held tiny specs of gold. It was my husband. The man who had been there for me through out every major event in my life. I relaxed back into the pillow as he continued to stroke my hair.

After a few minutes I pulled away from him and sat up. I was wearing the hotel's thick fluffy robe and nothing else. I went to the walk-in closet and shut the door. I dressed in a matching black lace bra and panty set. I picked out a Versace dress. The dress was silk with a lace bottom. It was fun and flirty. The look could be casual or dressy. I slipped into my new Louboutin heels. Black with red soles and straps that fastened around my ankles. The shoes had a three inch heel.

I went from the closet into the bathroom. I tamed my bed head and added a few layers of mascara. When I came back into the room I found Carlos sitting on the bed. He wasn't leaning back comfortably with his hands behind his head. He was sitting on the edge and looking beyond nervous. I walked over to the phone and ordered a steak and some kind of fish meal. After I hung up Carlos walked over to the couch. He picked up one of his bags and pulled out his laptop. He came over and sat it on the table in front of me. I watched him boot it up. He typed in his password 'Babe!**0622**. The numbers at the end represented our anniversary.

He did some clicking and then turned up the speaker. I watched the video of him exiting the car. His voice boomed through the speaker.

"Emily Gaines interview for possible distraction hire."

He went into Starkbucks and ordered before he found Emily at the table and sat with her.

"Treat me like I am a skip and demonstrate how you would distract him. She flirted with him easily. She offered to buy him drinks and often slid her hand onto his thigh He removed her hand and looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry this isn't going to work. You're too obvious and I would rather you not touch the skip unless you have no other choice. You definitely don't want to offer to buy drinks for the skip. It's too suspicious. Thank you for meeting me today." he told the woman

"Come on." she whined.

"I'm sorry." with that Carlos stood and left the coffee shop.

"I need this job." she pleaded as she followed behind.

"Find another one. This isn't the right position for you." he told her

I watched as Carlos walked away and then he spoke into the microphone.

"Emily Gaines is not a viable option for distraction jobs."

The video stopped. Carlos stood up and came back over to the laptop. He clicked open another file and a new video came up. He returned to his chair.

"Melinda Reeves interview for possible distraction hire."

I watched him walk into the Westin Hotel. The camera angle sometimes changed from one that he apparently had attached to him and one viewing him from a distance. He went into the hotel's restaurant and made his way to the bar. He ordered a water and waited. I moved the video forward after waiting for a minute until I saw the woman come into the frame.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." she told him

She stumbled forward with a dreamy look on her face. I assumed he had smiled at her. He shook her hand and introduced himself. He gave her instructions to treat him like a skip and informed her it was time to begin. She tried to flirt but kept interrupting the conversation to ask questions. He would answer her and then encourage her to continue. She started flirting again but stopped with more questions.

"This isn't going to work." he shook his head

"You didn't even give me a chance." she argued

"This isn't the right job for you." he got to his feet

"It could be." now she was flirting

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. He pulled away and glared at her.

"We're not interested. Thank you." he dismissed her.

When the video ended I looked up at Carlos. He got up without saying a word and came back to the laptop. He opened up another file and the video started. Just like before he left me alone to watch and returned to his chair.

Music boomed through the speaker as the club came into view. It looked like the camera was behind the bar. I watched people walk by for a couple of minutes before I moved the mouse to fast forward. Once I saw Jeanne Ellen on the screen I went back until just before she appeared.

"One more drink and he will be ready to leave. Everyone in place?" I heard Bobby's voice

"Ready" Tank spoke

"Ready" Hector agreed

"Shit" Vince swore

"What's wrong?" Carlos asked

I watched as Jeanne Ellen came into view. She stood there staring off at something I couldn't see.

"That bitch Jeanne Ellen is here." Vince answered him

"What the fuck?" Bobby growled

"She's too close." Tank complained

"She's going to screw this all up." Vince groaned

"Focus on the target. I will handle Burrows." Carlos announced

Jeanne Ellen was still the only one I recognized on the screen. There were other club goers hanging around or walking by but she was frozen in her spot. A huge smile spread across her face and then Carlos was there. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the wall. He moved his body in front of her but kept his hands on her shoulders pinned to the wall.

"Explain" he ordered

"I heard you were looking for me." Jeanne Ellen flirted

"You heard wrong." he informed her

"You just don't know what you're looking for." she told him

"Why are you here?" he asked

"To help you." she answered quickly.

When he didn't respond she continued.

"Heard you were looking to replace your wife. The perfect job for me." she teased

I watched him whip his head to the side and pull away from her.

"Just trying to give you a friendly kiss." she explained

"We got him. On the way to the SUV" I heard Vince's voice

"You heard wrong. And you better learn to control yourself. I won't allow anyone to disrespect my marriage." Carlos spoke through gritted teeth

"You interviewed two women to replace Sarah, Stacey...whatever her name is." Jeanne Ellen giggled

"My wife's name is Stephanie and there is no other woman who could ever replace her. The least of all you." he hissed

I watched Hector walk into view of the camera. He stood with his back to Carlos. He was watching my husband's back. Protecting him from any enemies that might try to get the drop on him by sneaking up while he was preoccupied.

"So you just need to fill her position for your company? She's not cutting it anymore?" this woman just wouldn't give up.

"It's her company too." he informed her

"FTA is secured" Bobby announced

"Take him in. I have Ranger's back" Hector spoke

"Oh Ranger. You need to just cut her loose. She's holding you back." Jeanne Elle continued.

I laughed to myself. She called him Ranger, not Carlos. The men mostly called him Ranger now except for Lester. It was his street name. It carried a reputation needed for our business.

"This is going to be our last conversation." he paused for just a second. "It's not your business, but I don't want you walking around spreading gossip or rumors about my family. I am looking for someone else to do distractions."

I gasped and looked up at Carlos sitting in the chair across from me. He had no emotion on his face but his eyes were focused on mine. He was sitting up stiff in the seat. Not leaning back. Not at all relaxed. I looked back at the screen again when I heard her voice.

"I knew it. Finally you tell me the truth. I'm the woman you're looking for." Jeanne Ellen purred.

Carlos' chuckle came through the speaker.

"No. You couldn't handle the job. My wife is the best. I am looking for a temporary fill in. I am hoping to start a family with my wife." he informed her

"A family?" she was confused

"Yes. I am looking forward to all of the practice required to make a baby with my beautiful wife." his voice was deep

"Uhm...ugh" Jeanne Ellen stammered

"En route to TPD" Tank announced

"Meet you back at Rangeman." I saw Hector's lips barely move

"Now stay the fuck out of my life." Carlos growled at her.

"But" she tried to argue

He took a step back and looked like he was about to walk away. He stopped and turned back to look at her.

"And stay the fuck away from my wife or I will forget that you are a woman and treat you like any other threat to my family." he sneered

With that he tapped Hector on the shoulder and they both walked out together. I sat staring at the screen for another minute until the video ended. I moved forward and set my hand on the laptop lid to close it, but stopped when Carlos came to my side. He pulled up a web browser and quickly typed in his commands. He opened up a gossip site and clicked on the video.

I saw a video of a limousine and immediately recognized the driver who held the door open.

"Earlier this evening New York Ranger's goalie landed in Las Vegas with a never before seen women at his side."

Henrik helped me slide into the back of the limo before he quickly moved in behind me. The driver closed the door and the cameraman followed the shot until he centered on the tinted window.

"It looks like the NHL's sexiest goalie is stepping out on his wife. Henrik Lundqvuist was seen in Las Vegas tonight accompanied by an unknown beauty. Henrik was named on People's list of the one hundred most beautiful people."

The video now showed Henrik and I arriving at the hotel. He got out of the limo and then turned back to help me out. I smiled as he pulled me to the entrance. I remembered I had smiled because I was thinking about the spa day his wife had suggested for me.

"The couple was next spotted arriving at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. This hotel is widely known for it's privacy and relaxation. Henrik's wife Therese and their two children are back home at the couple's Long Island home." the announcer finished.

The video stopped and I gently closed the top of the laptop and leaned back into the couch. Now I felt like an idiot. I had jumped to conclusions. No. I had allowed Vaughn to lead me to the incorrect conclusions. My loyal faithful husband was only guilty of not telling me about looking for my fill in. He hadn't told me because he hadn't yet asked me to consider having a baby with him.

And now was he doing the same? Did he think I was hooking up with Henrik? I stared up at the ceiling. I was fighting the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes. I was tempted to get lost in thoughts of 'how did we end up here'. But I knew exactly how we ended up here. I didn't want to wipe my face because then he would know the tears were beginning to fall. I was sure without looking that Carlos was still staring at me. As soon as I felt a tear move down my cheek Carlos was kneeling in front of me. He took both of my hands and intertwined them with his. I looked down at him and more tears fell. He buried his head into our joined hands and I leaned my head down to lay on top of his. We sat there like that silently for a few minutes before Carlos pulled away.

He moved onto the seat beside me and leaned his head back against the couch. He looked up at the ceiling just like I had done. I turned my body to watch him. His face looked pained and his body was tense. I wanted to comfort him. I wanted to explain and to listen all at once. I was just trying to figure out how to start the conversation when he spoke.

"I was so angry and hurt in Portland. I understood. I really understood Steph. That room was intense. I watched all of the video. You cutting your hair, getting sick." he sighed "When he showed you the pictures and video with no audio I understood how it appeared. I understood you were in a bad place."

He leaned forward and scrubbed a hand across his face.

"You were so strong. I was so proud of you watching you sit with that psycho. I saw the hurt in your face but you constantly pushed forward until you got everything you needed. The names. The places. The women you saved. So proud of you."

He turned to look at me and shook his head. His eyes filled with hurt and anger.

"I just never thought you were into celebrities." he shook his head "I never thought my wife would so quickly replace me."

"I didn't..."I tried to interrupt but he held up his hand

"So not to replace? Then to make me jealous. That's worse. Attempting to replace me tells me you were trying to dull the pain and seek some comfort. Trying to make me jealous tells me you purposely tried to hurt me. I never expected that from you Babe. I never viewed you as a vengeful person." he looked more hurt than angry now.

"Carlos." I grabbed his hands

"You obviously have plans tonight." he pulled his hands away and gestured towards my dress.

"It's not..." I tried to explain

"I don't want or need to hear it. But you needed to know. You needed to know that I never cheated. I would never intentionally hurt you like that. You needed to know I never kept secrets from you. I hadn't told you yet because I hadn't asked you about starting a family yet." he got to his feet.

"You need to call Hector. He's not doing so well." Carlos told me

I jumped to my feet and grabbed his arm. He allowed himself to be turned towards me. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pushed myself into his chest. He lifted both arms and then dropped them back to his side. I squeezed him tighter and turned my head to rest it on his chest. He lifted his arms again and this time he wrapped them around me. He rested his cheek against the top of my head.

"I was coming home tomorrow. I was going to come home and listen to you. I wanted to try to work things out. I didn't want to lose you. I didn't want to throw away what we had. I was wiling to go to therapy or counseling or whatever it took. I just didn't want to lose you." I whispered

He was silent for a while and I waited for him to speak. I wondered what thoughts were going on inside his head. I only hoped he was stronger and more gracious than me. I hoped he would allow me the chance to explain. The same chance that I had stolen from him.

"We can try." he told me

"Will you listen to me?" I asked him

"Yes" he quickly answered

I pulled away but he kept his arms wrapped around me. I kept my arms around his waist and looked up into his eyes.

"Nothing happened." I told him

He tilted his head and studied my eyes.

"Nothing happened with Henrik. I needed a friend and he helped me. I met his wife on Facetime. She suggested I come here so I could have a spa day and relax. He encouraged me to talk to you. He reminded me about the media and how they misconstrue things. He told me his wife never had issues because they maintained complete honesty. The honesty and constant contact made their marriage stronger." I began

He watched me without saying a word. His jaw relaxed a little.

"I was going to call you tonight and then go to a poker game with Henrik. I was trying to keep myself busy. I went to the spa all day and shopped. I had planned to head home in the morning." I explained

"Babe"

His lips crashed down onto mine. He pulled me tight against him as I felt my mouth open to his. His hands moved up to cup my face as his thumbs stroked my cheeks. I deepened the kiss and pressed my body to him. When we came up for air I put both hands against his chest and stepped back.

"I'm sorry." I told him

"I'm sorry Babe" he told me.

"I should have known better. I should have never doubted you." my hands went to his face

"I did the same thing Babe." he took my face in his.

"But I ran away." I reminded him

"I would have done the same. You stopped me before I could." he reminded me.

We stood there in the middle of the hotel room. Both of us cupping the other's face. Both of us filled with regret. Both of us filled with sadness and relief. But most of all both of us were filled with the need to reconnect. The desire and passion quickly grew between us. We didn't need anything more than eye contact to ignite the fire that always smouldered just below the surface whenever we were together. He pulled my face to his and our lips met with a desperation and passion like no other.

********************************SMUT****************************

As soon as we came up for air again something inside me snapped. I needed him now and I didn't want to wait even one more second. Quickly my hands were at the hem of his shirt. I pulled it up over his abs and Carlos raised his arms and leaned down to assist me. I was unbuckling his belt as he toed off his shoes. As soon as I unzipped his pants his hard thick member sprung from it's confines. I licked my lips and gave out a moan as I bent to pull his pants the rest of the way off.

Carlos grabbed me by my arms and pulled me to my feet. He spun me around and I raised my arms high in the air. I was expecting to feel his hands at the bottom of my dress so he could pull it up and over my head. Instead his hands grabbed mine. The backs of his hands slowly slid down mine. A shiver ran through my body as his hands caressed the skin on my arms. Goosebumps covered my skin as he moved over my shoulders and to the sides of my breasts. I groaned as his hands continued to slowly glide all the way down my body.

When he reached the hem of the dress he took a deep breath. He grabbed at the hem and slowly pulled the dress up. As his hands moved against my body again. This time they were directly on my skin when he passed my sides. Every inch he passed felt as if my skin was set on fire. What started off as fast and frantic had quickly turned into a slow building inferno. After my dress was pulled over my head Carlos went to work on my new black bra and panty set. He placed soft kisses on my shoulder as he unfastened and removed my bra. His lips moved to my collar bone as he slid my panties off. We stood there naked and inches apart just staring at each other. Carlos used his finger to lift my chin gently until our eyes locked.

"I love you so much Carlos." I reached out to touch his face.

"You are my life Babe" he wrapped a hand behind my neck.

We moved towards the bed as Carlos captured my mouth and my tongue with his. I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed down slightly until he sat down on the bed. I bent down so I could kiss him before I dropped to my knees. Carlos immediately gasped before he even looked down to see me. I massaged his thighs with both hands. I gently kissed his tip before moving my hands up higher. I bypassed his growing erection and rubbed my hands up and down his abs and chest. I glanced up to see he was still watching me. I took his hard length in my hand and caressed him as I guided my hand up and down slowly. I pressed my lips on the top of his erection before letting my tongue dart out to taste hm.

I took him in my mouth as my hand wrapped around his base. His hands moved to my hair. He quickly gathered it up and held it away from my face so that he could watch me. He groaned as I took my time pleasing him. I felt his hands grip my hair tighter but he didn't guide me anywhere, he simply massaged my scalp. He was moaning and giving out the occasional growl as my lips stayed wrapped around him.

"Babe" he moaned

I wanted him to feel the love from me as I surrounded him with my warm wet mouth. I felt him tighten and continued the steady pace as my lips moved up and down his hardness. His hips were lifting off of the bed moving slowly in time with my mouth. I felt his entire body stiffen at once. His hands gently tugged at my hair in an attempt to pull me away. But I had no intention of stopping the desire to pleasure him with only my mouth.

"I'm going to..." he was breathless

I tilted my head up and looked into his eyes. I was willing him to let go. I wanted him to feel the intensity of this moment. I wanted to feel the satisfaction of bringing him to climax with my mouth. Once he allowed himself to let go I felt his warm release explode into my mouth. Our eyes never lost contact as I continued to make sure he was thoroughly satisfied.

When I pulled away I rose to my feet and Carlos wrapped his arms around my waist. He kissed my stomach and looked up at my face before placing another kiss there. His eyes told me exactly what he was hoping for when he kissed me there. He twisted our bodies around and set me in his place on the bed. His hands moved to my shoulders and he gently pushed me back until I was laying down.

He knew exactly what he wanted and didn't waste any time at all. His lips kissed me on the exact spot I had hoped for. He parted my folds as his lips touched my nub. I was already slick with anticipation. His tongue touched me and easily glided from my pulsing button to my hot core over and over as I moaned out. He settled on my nub as I felt two fingers enter me. He hissed as he felt how ready I was for him. I was already close to the explosion my body was yearning for. He moved his tongue and fingers together as he delivered the pleasure I knew only he could give me. The pure ecstasy only his mouth knew how to provide for my aching and swollen nub. His talents quickly pushed me over the edge. I buried my hands in his hair and gently massaged his scalp as my body pulsed under his expert fingers, lips, mouth and tongue.

I was still coming down when I felt my husband guide me to the top of the bed. He gently laid me back until my head hit the pillow. He rained kisses all over my face as I let my eyes close in pleasure. I soon felt his lips on my neck. He placed wet open mouth kisses from my ear to my collarbone and then traced his tongue back up and repeated it again. His hands were massaging my breasts as I wiggled my body underneath his. I could feel his excitement pressing against my thigh. I was overcome with the desire to feel him inside of me.

Carlos nipped and sucked at my neck before he moved lower. His kisses moved down to my breasts as he proceeded to kiss circles around each nipple. I pebbled under the touch of his lips. My nipples were taut as his tongue licked and his lips kissed and his teeth gently bit each one. His hands stroked the sides of my body as he slid them down to my waist. He pressed his fingers gently into my skin and my legs parted on reflex.

He moved above me until he was centered at my core. His hands captured my hips as he slowly buried himself inside me. Both of us let out groans as he moved in inch by inch. He stilled once he was completely inside of me and we were both breathing heavy. Both of us feeling the immense pleasure of the closeness we both craved so deeply. He slowly pulled out and then pushed back in stilling when his pelvis met mine. He repeated this rhythm as his lips, teeth and tongue continued to worship my breasts and neck.

My hips were cradled in his hands and my head fell from from side to side as I began to lose myself in the warmth of our bodies. I kept my eyes closed and every touch seemed amplified. His kisses and nips on my neck sent shocks straight down to where our bodies were connected. Each time he pushed inside of me and then suddenly stilled I gave out small gasps. The heat was building inside of me like never before. I never felt so close to him. I reached around his body and pressed my hands against his tight ass. My body was aching for release.

His rhythm increased and I fond myself moaning out my pleasure with each stroke.

"Yes" I moaned hoarsely

"Oh" he breathed out

Our pleasure was building and the heat between us was rising. His hands left my hips and I could feel the bed dip on each side of my body. I opened my eyes when I felt his mouth pull away from me. I looked up in time to watch him arch his back as he pressed into me. His mouth was parted as the moans escaped his lips. He opened his eyes and looked down at me. My body shuddered beneath him and I cried out in pleasure.

"Cum with me Babe" he commanded

I nodded up at him and bit into my lower lip. His eyes were hooded and his breath was ragged. I felt his arms tremble as all of his power was directed to the hard shaft he continued to push deep inside my tight core. My legs began to quake and my moans increased in both volume and frequency.

"Oh Carlos"

"Mmmm"

"Yes"

"Oh my God"

"You're so amazing"

As he plunged into me even deeper I felt myself tighten around him.

"Querida" he whispered

His endearment put me over the edge and I came undone. His body responded and I felt him erupt inside of me. My body went slack as I felt the full pleasure of my release as every stress, worry and concern left my body all at once. Everything was replaced with love. The love I felt for him during the intimate moment brought tears to my eyes.

****************END SMUT**************

This wasn't our typical unyielding primal make-up sex. This wasn't our typical lover's spat. We had overcome a huge hurdle that threatened to destroy everything we had built together since we first met. We had made it through the storm with a new understanding by communicating and expressing our feelings like never before.

In the morning Carlos and I had breakfast with Henrik before we headed to the airport. He was very pleased to see we had made up and relieved to find out it was all a misunderstanding. I had skipped the phone call to Hector so I could speak directly to him. He was at the airport to pick us up as soon as we landed. I wrapped my arms around him to greet him. He stiffened only for a second before his arms enveloped me and he heaved out a sigh of relief. I apologized to him and expressed how grateful I was to know he not only had my back but Carlos' as well.

I went to dinner at my father's house while Sal was visiting so that I could assure them I was fine. Lester was anxious to see me. He had no problem dropping the occasional carrot or grape into Rex's cage, but he had hoped I would make it back before he would be forced to clean it.

Agent Rutherford had been right about the FBI wanting me to work on more cases after the success of my work with Vaughn. I still took the occasional small case from them as well as other agencies. However, my primary focus was on getting pregnant. After all that we had gone through I was sure that we could handle the demands of parenthood. I was ready to begin my family with Carlos and excited at all of the practice and hard work that would be required trying to conceive our child.

**********************NOTES************NOTES****************NOTES***************

Thank you Ruthann for always getting me and thank you for the song. It fit perfectly.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17- Twenty-eight years old

"Babe wake up."

I could hear his voice, but I couldn't open my eyes.

"Babe"

I heard his voice but I wasn't sure if it was real or not. I squeezed my eyes together tightly and tried to figure out where I was. I felt his hands on my back rubbing me gently. I felt sweaty and my breathing was labored. It was obvious that I had had another nightmare. This time Vaughn was free of his shackles and cuffs. He went after me and I felt his blade on my neck. I begged him to spare me. I pled for my life but he didn't care.

"Babe it's okay." his voice soothed me

I opened my eyes and turned in the bed to face my husband. I forced a tight smile to try to calm the pain and concern in his eyes. He pulled me to him and rubbed the back of my hair. I rested my head on his shoulder as he rolled us over. My body naturally wrapped around his and I wrapped my arm around his waist trying to pull myself tighter against him. When my breath calmed I eased my grip and shifted my hand to rest on his chest, letting his heartbeat calm me.

"I hate this." his voice was low.

"Did I say anything this time?" I asked him

He didn't answer me but I heard him sigh.

"Carlos?" I asked

"No. No words. Just you were." he hesitated "whimpering."

"I'm sorry." I apologized

"Don't be sorry Steph. I am so proud of you. I am proud of all of the information you gained. The women you saved and the closure you brought to all of the cases. I only wish you didn't have to bare yourself to that man. I wish you didn't have to ..." he rubbed my back

"I know. I keep telling myself it was worth it." I admitted

"I just hate the nightmares. You don't know what it does to me when I wake up to your voice begging for your life, you moaning in pain or you whimpering like you are suffering." he whispered

"I hate them too." I confided

"I feel useless." he muttered

"Oh Carlos. You have no idea how you help me. When you wake me and you take me in your arms. Every bad thought goes away when you hold me." I comforted him

"It's only temporary." he shrugged

"I'll just have to stay in your arms forever." I teased as I tried to lighten the mood.

"Maybe I should cuff you to me when we sleep so there's no chance of rolling away from each other during the night." he chuckled

"You're crazy." I play slapped his chest

"I just want to take your pain away. It kills me to see you in pain." he admitted

"It's gotten much better." I assured him

He pulled me tight against him. He kissed the top of my head while he rubbed my back.

"You're right." he agreed

"I used to have them almost every night." I reminded him

"Babe."

"I know." I grumbled

"Once every few months still is too much." he informed me

"I know it upsets you." I kissed his chest

"It does upset me because it hurts me to see you in pain." he hugged me tighter.

"You make it better. Just knowing you are here makes it better." I told him

"Sleep Babe. I've got you." he comforted me

I felt my heavy lids and let them close. I focused on his heartbeat and his steady breathing. I relaxed into him and felt myself drifting off to sleep. I Heard a noise in the hall and felt a smile spread across my face. I heard the bedroom door open and waited for Carlos to speak.

"What's wrong?" Carlos asked.

Carlos pulled away from me and sat up quickly. I opened my eyes and pulled myself up into a seated position beside him. I could see the small figure shadowed in the doorway.

"Bad dream" he sniffled

"Come here" Carlos beckoned

His little legs moved so fast as he launched himself up onto our bed. He wrapped his arms around my neck and I pulled him close to me. I kissed the top of his head. Carlos reached over and rubbed his back.

"What was the dream about?" I asked him

"A bad man chasing you." he whispered "He wanted to hurt you."

"Uhm" I hesitated

"I was trying to protect her." he sniffled as he looked at Carlos

"Alex, you know that Daddy will always protect you and mommy." Carlos reassured our son.

"Me too." Alex whispered "I can protect her too."

Carlos nodded "You too."

Alex sniffled again. "I need to be strong like Daddy."

"You are strong." Carlos assured him

"You've been lifting weights with Uncle Tank." I reminded him

"I need to be tough like Daddy." he told me

"You can take some more Karate lessons with Uncle Vince tomorrow." I assured him

"I need to be scary like Daddy." the little boy whispered

"Scary?" Carlos sounded worried

"When you growl at the uncles they all get scared." he explained "They do what you tell them."

I worked hard to control a chuckle as I hugged my little man. Carlos reached over and mussed Alex's hair.

"We'll work on your growling in the morning." Carlos assured him.

"You are going to have a busy day tomorrow." I told my son

"It's late. I'll put you back in your bed." Carlos told him

His little eyes focused on Carlos and his bottom lip popped out into a pout. The light from the bathroom basked his face in a light glow. I watched as Carlos breathed out a deep sigh and I knew he was about to give in. He couldn't resist those sad brown eyes.

"You can sleep here tonight" Carlos sighed

The smile spread across his little face and he snuggled in between us. I laid back and turned on my right side. Carlos and I were facing each other with our little one between us. The tiny hand reached out and rubbed my growing belly.

"Goodnight baby" he whispered as he kissed my stomach.

"I love you." I kissed the top of his head.

"Love you too." he whispered.

Alex moved his head high on the pillow and gave me a kiss. He turned to Carlos and moved his head back and forth rubbing noses. Alex loved to give his father Eskimo kisses.

"I love you daddy." came the little voice next

"I love you too Alex. Now go to sleep." Carlos told him

"Mommy?" he asked

"Yes?" I answered

"Will there be room for me after the baby comes?" his little voice whispered

"There will always be room for you." I kissed his forehead

It wasn't long before Alex fell asleep. I carefully moved him over to my other side and curled up with his back to my front. Carlos pulled me tight against him and kissed the back of my head. He gently rubbed my stomach before he wrapped his arm around Alex and pulled all three of us closer together. I smiled to myself and let my eyes close. During my whole pregnancy with Alex I worried that I wouldn't be a good mother. I never worried about Carlos. I knew he would be a good father and he didn't disappoint. I knew he would be amazing because he was an incredible husband.

Carlos convinced me to spend some time in therapy as soon as the nightmares had started. He went with me in the beginning until I felt comfortable enough to go alone. I didn't just have issues with Vaughn and my nightmares. I was afraid to lose Carlos. I was furious with myself for questioning my husband's loyalty and love for me. I had known him my whole life and loved him for as long as I could remember. He had always been there for me as I had been for him. I felt like I had abandoned our marriage when I went to Vegas on my own after the whole Vaughn thing. Carlos only considered it a bump in the road. While I was racked with guilt he had already let it go. I felt undeserving of his love and understanding.

It didn't take long before the therapist was able to make me see just how special and resilient my marriage to Carlos was. We were built on a solid foundation of friendship and we had grown up together both physically and mentally. I slowly learned to let it go and accept the affection Carlos gave me. I had never felt so treasured and truly adored. He comforted me after every nightmare and supported me in every decision I made. The therapist helped me to open my eyes to what was in front of me. There was never again the slightest bit of doubt about my husband's loyalty or love for me. After the Vaughn incident I wasn't sure I could be a good mother. I went back on the birth control shots. After only a month of therapy we decided to stop the shots and I got pregnant with Alex just two months after that.

After Alex was born I was very protective of him. It was about the same time that I started receiving weekly letters from Vaughn. I didn't allow anyone to be alone with my son and I was never away from him. I just couldn't bear for him to be out of my sight. After the first month Carlos suggested we go back to our weekly therapy sessions. I had to learn to trust the people we loved. Alex needed more time to bond with his father without me leaning over his shoulder. We began with Carlos spending time alone with his son. Simple visits to the park, playing at home while I went shopping or got my hair done.

I knew my fears were unhealthy, but I couldn't just let them go. The therapist convinced me that it was normal to worry about losing Alex and Carlos. It was okay to be a protective mother as long as I allowed our son to have time with others who loved him. We agreed it was time for Alex to share time with someone other than his mom and dad. Strangely enough we started with Lester. He would take Alex to the park for three hours every Wednesday. The first time I followed Les to the park. I watched him push my five month old son in the baby swing. Lester was amazing. He sang and laughed with Alex. He pushed his stroller around the park and pointed out the ducks. After that day I never followed him again because I trusted him with my only child.

Carlos found out how Vaughn was sending the letters. He hired a man to visit him and dictated what he wanted to say. The man went home and wrote it out and sent it to me. I turned the other way when the man ended up with a broken hand. I also conceded and allowed my mail to be forwarded to the office and inspected by one of our men before it was passed along to us. After a couple of weeks I let Ella spend time with Alex while I did searches. It was comforting to know he was in the same building. When I started working sales and leaving the building I knew I could trust Ella completely. My dad and Anna were next, then Carlos' family. Before long all of our family including our Rangeman guys got to spend time with our son. The therapist was proud of my accomplishments and the strides that I had made. I was back down to check-ins with her once every couple of months.

Shortly after Alex was born we moved out of the penthouse on the seventh floor of the Rangeman building and bought a house in Lawrenceville. It was about twenty minutes from Haywood and right next to Princeton. The house was big and set on enough land where we didn't feel like we were right on top of our neighbors. The house held five bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms. Carlos had insisted that each bedroom get their own bathroom. I guess he didn't want to hear any arguing or be delayed in the morning. We had a large office that held two desks, allowing one or both of us to work from home whenever needed. Of course our security was top of the line and monitored by Rangeman.

"I hate you Carlos Manoso! You are never touching me again! No sex! That's it! You are cut off forever!" I screamed

"Babe"

"No. I don't care how amazing it is. No more." I stated

"Whatever you say Babe." he replied

"Oh please!" my voice was shrill.

He sighed.

"Whatever you say Babe" I mocked him

"Come on Babe you can do this." he coaxed

"I don't want to." I whined

"I know Babe, but I believe in you. I know you can do this." he rubbed my hand

"It hurts." I sniffled

"You are so strong. I love you so much. You can do anything Babe." he kissed my forehead.

He was standing beside me clutching one of my hands in between both of his. I pulled my hand away and squeezed the bed rail. He leaned down and kissed my cheek and then laid a hand on my shoulder. I glared at him and he pulled my hand into his again. I squeezed his hand as hard as I could and he did a slight gasp. I looked up at his face and he gave me a smile.

"I hate you! Stop being so damn happy." I growled as he smiled.

"Okay Mrs. Manoso it's time to push again." the doctor encouraged me

"I don't want to." I repeated

"Come on Babe." Carlos squeezed my shoulder.

I pulled away from the pillow so I was mostly seated in the bed. Carlos quickly put a hand to my back. He was rubbing up and down supporting me.

"You do it then if it's so easy." I glared at him

"I would if I could Babe. I hate to see you in pain. I know this isn't easy." he stroked my back.

I pushed until the doctor told me to stop. I suddenly realized we were about to see our baby. The child we conceived out of our deep love for each other.

"I love you Carlos." I told my husband

He kissed my head. "I love you too Steph."

"Okay this is the last one. Push" The doctor ordered

Soon I heard the cries of our new daughter. Once she was cleaned and inspected she was handed to me. I held her against my chest as Carlos leaned over and kissed her nose.

"She's beautiful Babe just like you." he remarked

"Our beautiful Marioposa Rosa Manoso." I beamed

"She already has your hair." he noted the curl in her thick head of hair

"So much hair." I noticed.

"And your eyes." he smiled

"I am so sorry I yelled at you." tears formed in my eyes.

"It's okay Babe." he smirked

"It hurt." I whined "I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"We've been here before. I know you didn't mean it." he assured me

"I don't know how you stay so calm." I shook my head.

"Because you need me to be calm." he kissed our daughter again.

"Thank you." I told him

"I'm going to let everyone know you are both okay." Carlos kissed my forehead.

"Bring Alex with you when you come back." I ordered "I want him to meet his sister."

"I am sure he will be excited to see his new baby sister." Carlos smiled "He's been obsessed with her ever since we told him there was a baby in my stomach."

As I fed my new baby girl I found myself giving out a sigh of contentment. I hadn't expected to have a second child so soon. I should have known my man had super sperm. Alejandro Hector Manoso had been born just eleven months ago. I had waited six weeks before getting my birth control shot after we had Alex. Unexpectedly Carlos and I had beaten the odds. We were part of the less than 1% who got pregnant while taking the shot.

When I first found out about Mari I was in shock and scared to death about having two babies in diapers at the same time. Then I found myself excited at the thought of another baby. I had plenty of help from Ella and the guys with our son now and I knew they would also help with our new daughter. Carlos was an incredible father with Alex. He changed diapers and took care of early morning feedings so I could get extra sleep.

I couldn't ask for a better partner. I had been a woman who wasn't sure if I even wanted to start a family. Now I was the mother of two beautiful children. Both of our children were a perfect mix of Carlos and I. Alex had Carlos' hair and my eyes. Now Mari had my hair and eyes. I thought my life was complete once Carlos and I were married, but I never realized how much better my life could get.

"Hey Beautiful." Lester was already waiting in the private room when I was brought in.

"Are you here to meet your future god daughter?" I asked him

"I wanted to be the first. I wouldn't miss this for anything." he smirked

I held out the baby and he swept her up into his arms. He cradled her to his chest and dropped kisses all over her sweet face.

"I think I may have to stop calling you Beautiful." he noted

"Why is that?" I asked

"Because I am sure I will be calling Mari Beautiful." he smiled

"I can deal with that." I assured him

Henrik and Therese were God parents to our son Alex. We had chosen Lester and Hector as God parents to Mari. We were surrounded by love and support. I went from a family that never appreciated me to a family that adored me. I had my father, Sal and Anna. Now I had a building full of guys and two best friends who made me feel like I was the luckiest woman in the world.

"Your Uncle Lester is going to teach you how to beat up all of the little boys. When you're thirty and you get married, I will be the one writing up your pre-nup." he spoke to her.

"Lester!" I laughed

"It's true." he winked at me.

"Mommy!"Alex cried.

I looked down to see my son toddling into the room. He was pulling Carlos behind him. Alex had an infectious smile and his eyes sparkled with excitement. Carlos lifted Alex up so he could see me. He kissed my cheek with a wet open mouthed kiss and I pulled him into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around my neck and snuggled in close to me. Lester handed Mari to Carlos and grabbed up Alex.

"This is your new sister." Lester carried Alex to meet her.

"This is your sister Mari." Carlos told him

At that exact moment Mari let out one hell of a scream and started crying. Alex covered his ears and made a face. He turned into and hid his face in Lester's chest. Carlos cradled Mari closer to him and rocked his body gently back and forth.

"She's broken." Alex told his Uncle Lester.

"It's okay little man, that's what babies do. She's not broken. That's how she tells us she needs something." Lester explained to Alex

"Right now she needs her diaper changed." Carlos chuckled

Carlos took care of Mari's diaper change. Lester took Alex back to the waiting room. Henrik and Therese were taking Alex for the night. Their daughters were seven and four. They loved having Alex around because he was like a living baby doll for them to play with. Shortly after I got back from Vegas Therese had reached out to me. She was getting ready to move to New Jersey because she was tired of the cost and stress of the city. Their family moved to Lawrenceville less than six months after we did. The guys all accepted Henrik right away. Therese and I became fast friends. It was a pleasure for me to have a friend who was my age and had a healthy marriage with children.

"Deep thoughts?" Carlos asked

"Yeah. I was just thinking back to Vegas when I met Henrik and you and I learned to communicate better." I admitted

"We certainly did." he winked

I rolled my eyes and we both chuckled

"I am so proud of you Babe" Carlos kissed my cheek

"For communicating?" I asked

"I am proud of you for that, but I was talking about Mari." he kissed our daughter.

"I didn't even know if I was ready for kids and now we have two in diapers. I just hope I don't screw this up." I told him

"Babe"

"I just want our babies to be happy." I explained

"Alex is very happy. Especially yesterday." Carlos gave me that bright 200 watt smile.

I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"He was happy because you showed him how to bury his Uncle Lester." I shook my head

"Hey! I was teaching our son compassion. Lester fell asleep on the beach. He could have gotten a bad sunburn. Alex saved him buy burying him with sand." Carlos said innocently

"Compassion huh?" I chuckled

"That's my job. To help teach our kids important life lessons." he nodded

"Teaching him how to throw darts is important?" I asked

"They were magnetic darts. It was an Avengers dart board." he explained

"You told him to aim for the Hulk. You also asked him what Tank would look like if he was green." I shook my head

"All in good fun Babe." he rocked Mari back and forth

"Your poor men." I sighed

"What about Hector? You let him get away with everything. I saw the target in the back yard." he raised both of his eyebrows.

"The knives were rubber." I brushed him off

"Babe"

"Okay okay. So our son is going to be totally bad ass." I admitted

"And our daughter will be a princess." he smiled as he kissed her again.

"Unless she wants to be Wonderwoman." I reminded him

"She can be anything she wants." he cooed

"She already has you wrapped around your finger." I smiled as I shook my head.

When Mari was asleep Carlos laid her down in the tiny bassinet that was beside my bed. He came over and sat on the edge of my bed. He cupped my face and his thumb stroked my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into his hand. I felt a tear slide down my face and he brushed it away with his thumb.

"Thank you." he spoke quietly

"Thank you Carlos." I covered his hand with mine.

"I have a present for you." he whispered

My eyes got wide and he chuckled. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a key. He placed it in my hand and smiled. I glanced down at the key and then up at him.

"It's a push present." he told me

I rolled my eyes. "I still don't get that. Having the baby was a present to us both."

"Let me spoil you." he pleaded

I nodded "So what does the key go to?"

"A beach house in Point Pleasant." he explained

"Really?" I was excited

"Yes. It's a few houses down from the one we usually rent every summer. I can't wait to show you." he rubbed my cheek

Tears welled in my eyes. "Thank you."

"Anything for you Babe. Anything for you and the family you have given me." he leaned down and kissed my nose.

"I had some help in making our little family." I smirked

"That you did." he nodded

He pulled his hand away and looked me up and down. A frown spread across his face.

"Six weeks" he mumbled

I laughed "We'll make it."

"That doesn't mean I like it." he reminded me

"I remember." I giggled.

There was some debate on where to hold Alex's first birthday party. Everyone wanted to come. This meant finding a place for all of Carlos' family, my little family, our friends and our employees. We were nearly up to one hundred guests by the time we sat down to make a list. We decided to rent a hall in Trenton just outside of the Burg. Therese helped me plan everything including Mari's birth. We knew there was a chance Mari would be born before or during the party. Luckily Mari was born with almost a week to spare before her brother's first birthday party.

"What's wrong with you?" Therese asked me

She was standing in the doorway of my walk-in closet as I tossed dresses onto the floor.

"I'm just a freaking mess. I can't fit into any of the dresses I want to wear. I am worried about having enough food. I am worried that everyone will be doting on Mari and ignore Alex." I confided.

"Relax." she told me

Therese stepped into the closet and pulled a dress from the rack. It was a black cotton wrap around dress. I quickly tossed it over my head and then looked in the mirror. The way the wrap laid across my stomach and gathered at my hip. It hid the belly I still had.

"This is perfect." I smiled

"Steph?" Lester's voice called out

"In here." I hollered back.

"Looking good Beautiful." Lester smiled when he saw me in he dress.

"All set for Saturday?" Therese asked him

"Yes ma'am." Lester winked at her. "Hector and I will be here at noon."

"Noon? The party's at one o'clock." I was confused.

"We made other plans." Therese smirked

"Hector and I are picking up our God Daughter for some quiet time. We'll bring her to the party about two." Lester told me

"Oh my God. Really?" I was truly touched

Lester stepped in and kissed my forehead.

"Yes Beautiful. I had mentioned to Henrik that I was worried about both kids getting attention and he said Therese was worried about the same thing. So we talked and decided Hector and I would spend time with Mari and bring her to the party right before cake time." Lester explained

"You two really thought oaf everything." I sniffled

"Shut up and accept it Steph. Family always helps family sometimes before you even realize you need it." Therese rolled her eyes at me

Saturday was perfect. It was truly Alex's day. The smile he wore showed off his adorable dimples. His father had taken him to his tailor and got him a suit to wear for his special day. The presents were stacked up so high on the gift table it looked like a little mountain. This was a day for him to be spoiled. He went from table to table thanking our friends and family for coming.

The DJ played both fast and slow music from all eras and soon people were on the floor dancing. Carlos came to me and asked me to dance but Alex moved around him and held out his little hand to me. Carlos smirked as I took our son's hand and he led me to the floor. He held both of my hands as he moved me around the floor. I fought the tears that pooled in my eyes as the smile on my face spread from ear to ear.

"May I cut in?" Carlos asked as the next song began.

"No kissing." Alex warned as he released my hands. "My kisses."

Carlos chuckled and I leaned down to plant a kiss on my son's cheek. I felt like the luckiest woman in the world. As Carlos and I moved to the music we watched our son choose his next partner. Tank had picked up Abuela Rosa from her new assisted living home and she was the next one Alex asked to dance.

Lester and Hector showed up with Mari when it was cake time. We sang together and presented Alex with his smash cake. He looked around the room before he delivered a karate chop to the little cake. The flashes shined as pictures and videos captured this special day.

After Mari was born I stopped doing distractions. I focused on meetings with potential new clients. I enjoyed working in sales. I loved the rush I felt every time I secured a new client for Rangeman. This job also gave me a lot of time with our children. My sales meetings were usually set to correspond with nap time. Last year we had successfully opened up Rangeman branches in both Atlanta and Chicagoi. Tank had volunteered to travel to each one and stay on for six months to train a manager and make sure everything was up to our high standards so that Carlos could stay in Trenton with his new family.

I still did some profiling work but only took the cold cases when all other avenues had been exhausted. My profile work was never the same after Vaughn. I didn't know if he was still sending letters, but I had convinced myself that he had forgotten me.I put my family first and refused to interview any suspects. I made a mistake with Vaughn that I refused to repeat. I had allowed the man to get in my head and a part of him still resided there. He still showed up in my nightmares even though it was rare now. He had been convicted of eleven counts of murder and 2 counts of kidnapping and attempted murder. All in all he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

**************************NOTES************

Please imagine that as Ranger's baby Alex is well ahead of every 'typical' milestone. I truly hope the way I portray him doesn't take away from the story for you.  
**Thank you Ohtootsie for pointing this out to me in a very gentle way.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18- Thirty years old- Part 1

"I can't believe we're alone." I shouted out to Carlos.

I had just gotten out of the shower and was towel drying my hair.

"It's nice to have a break." he agreed

"Do you think the kids are okay?" I asked him

"Babe. They're with my parents. They will be fine. It's only for one night." he assured me

I had jumped in the shower as soon as Carlos' parents picked up the kids. I wanted to shave, exfoliate and lotion before we spent some quality time together. We were going out for an adult dinner and then back home for more adult time. We worked hard to always find time for each other since the kids came along, but our sex life was a little different now. A lot more quickies and a lot quieter orgasms. I was looking forward to taking our time and being as loud as we wanted. I came out of the bathroom and saw Carlos sitting on the bed with his laptop. He was trying to squeeze in some work before we went out to dinner.

I walked past him in only my matching black panty and bra set. I didn't look at him, but I felt his eyes on me. I made it to the closet and stepped into my awaiting dress. I had been waiting to wear this new dress because I knew it would drive him insane. The dress was blue and had straps that fastened around my neck with a low plunging neckline. The rest of it was form fitting until it hit my waist. There was a slight skirt that swished around me when I twirled. If I bent over and a breeze hit just right I would be on display for the world to see. I had worked damn hard to get my post baby body into great shape and was looking forward to showing it off.

I came out of the closet and planned to stand there until he noticed me. Apparently he hadn't stopped noticing me since I passed him on my way to the closet. His eyes had been fixed on the door awaiting my return. When I caught his eyes with mine I gasped at the look on his face. His eyes were dilated black and he looked at me like I was supposed to be dinner. He had a sudden slight smirk. I figured it was his ESP or I had spoken out loud.

"You are dinner." he agreed.

*********************************************SMUT******************************************

He tossed his laptop to the side and then I blinked. The next thing I knew Carlos had me pushed against the wall with his body pressed against mine. Our foreheads were touching and we were both breathing heavy. Without a word his lips took mine and then our tongues were weaving around each other. His hands stroked the sides of my body while he pressed into me. When his hands reached below my waist he moved them to my naked thighs. I moaned into his mouth. His hands tugged at the side of my panties and moved them slowly down my legs.

"What about dinner?" I squeaked out

"Later." he growled

"But..." I tried to argue

I didn't put up much of a fight and when he dropped to his knees in front of me, I nearly fainted. He slowly moved his hands up and down my legs. I glanced down and caught his eyes. He smiled and I returned it. He moved one hand behind my thigh and lifted it up. He laid my leg over his shoulder and moved his head forward. My knees were weak. His shoulder was pressed against me, holding me to the wall. He kissed my thigh and moved his kisses slowly towards my center. When his tongue traced back to where he just kissed I felt my whole body shutter in response. His hands continued to massage my thighs as he returned to his kisses moving back up again. I moaned when I felt his warm breath on my center. He kissed me at just the right spot and then I felt his tongue.

"Oh. My .God." I moaned out each word.

He growled against me and the vibration made me shiver. My hands flew to his hair. I gently ran them through his hair massaging his scalp.

"Yes" I moaned out.

His tongue stroked my swollen nub while his finger filled me.

"Carlos." I panted

It was a quick build. The fire and tingly feelings ran through my body. My breath was coming quickly and my hands clutched his head. The explosion hit me fast and the waves of pleasure poured through my body. Carlos' shoulder was holding up my body, pressing me into the wall. He stayed with me and didn't let up until I begged him to stop. When he released my thigh I slid down the wall and tried to catch my breath. I heard him chuckle as he got to his feet. He held out his hand to assist me back up to my feet.

I shook my head no. Instead I got to my knees and grabbed his hips. I leaned in and pressed my mouth against the zipper of his pants. I blew out my warm breath against his hard shaft. He let out a growl from deep in his throat. My hands moved to the button and then quickly found the zipper. Of course he was commando. I looked up into his eyes as I pulled his pants down his legs. I grabbed his hips and steered him around me so that he was pressed into the wall. I helped him slide off his shoes, socks and then finally his pants.

I grabbed him in my hand and stroked him as he groaned and gasped. I kissed every centimeter of his hard member before taking him in my mouth. His hands went to my hair as he massaged my curls. He was panting and groaning but his hands were gentle in my hair. It was loving and not forceful. I took as much of him in my mouth as I could and used my hand to stroke what was too big for my mouth. I began slow and tortured him as I kissed the tip after each stroke.

"Babe"

I took him all the way in my mouth before pulling back again. I slowly kissed the head and then took him all the way into my warm mouth again.

"Oh God yes" he breathed out

I picked up the pace and allowed my free hand to rub and stroke every piece of skin I could reach from my knees. His hands went still in my hair and I felt his thighs tighten. He breathed out a long deep moan as he shuddered in release. After his orgasm I slowed my pace but continued to move my mouth until he begged me to stop from the sensitivity.

He pulled me up onto my feet and dragged me behind him as he took us into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and stood in front of me. He stroked my cheek with the back of his hand.

"I am constantly amazed at how much I love you. I mean really love you. Unconditionally and with everything I am. We have two beautiful kids and I couldn't ask for more. And our sex life? Well, our sex life is still amazing." he smirked

"Just quieter and sometimes quicker when the kids are home." I giggled

He pulled me into the shower and we slowly and gently washed each other's bodies. He washed my back as I braced my hands against the wall. It wasn't long before he dropped the loofah and grabbed my hips. His hands moved to massage my butt. He slid one hand to my front. I think he was checking to see if I was as excited as he was or if I was ready. He didn't need to check. I am always ready for him. He leaned his front against my back and kissed my ear.

"So wet." he whispered

"Always for you." I answered

"Only me" his voice was husky

"Always yours." my voice was low

"Mine" he growled

"Take what's yours." I commanded

He was already hard against me. He guided himself into me with one hand while the other held onto my shoulder. I pushed back to meet him and we both groaned when he was sheathed deep inside of me. He stilled as his other hand went to my shoulder as well. Both hands held me firmly as he began to move slowly. His hands dropped to my arms and kept sliding down as they made their way to my hips. He gripped me tightly and then pulled back before slamming into me.

"Yes" I screamed out

He pulled almost all the way out and then slammed into me again. Holding us still so I could feel my tight heat gripping his hard member deep inside of me.

"Carlos" I moaned

He pulled out again and slammed into me. Each time he stilled it was driving me crazy. I wanted him, no I needed him to go hard and fast. I pushed my ass back against him.

"Steph" he gripped me tighter

"Yours" I reminded him

He pulled back and slammed into me again.

"Mine" he growled

"Take me now" I demanded

That's all it took before he broke. I moaned out as he began pounding into me. I turned my head and laid my cheek against the cold tile. It felt so good to be as loud as I wanted. To scream his name and just let myself go completely. I quickly felt my muscles tighten. My core pulsed around him.

"Carlos" I moaned out his name

"Fuck. Stephanie. Babe. Yes." he shouted before finding his own release.

He moved his hands around my waist and pulled me tight against him as he leaned into me. I felt his legs still shaking from his release. His cheek pressed against the back of my head. Our bodies were throbbing and our breaths still coming out in quick pants. We slowly came down together. A smile crept across my face as he spun me around to face him. Both strong warm hands came up to cup my face as his lips took mine. We finally pulled ourselves from the shower and wrapped up in warm towels. We fell back onto the bed still wrapped in our towels. Both of us laid side by side feeling absolutely exhausted.

"Damn, that was amazing." I smiled

"Incredible" he agreed

I turned onto my side and propped myself up on my elbow. The smile refused to leave my face as I studied him. My eyes roamed over his big strong chest and the muscles that emerged from his arms. My hand reached out to rub his hard eight pack abs. He turned his head at my touch and opened his eyes to greet me. He pulled me to him and I turned my head to lay it against his chest. He rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head.

"You know you have gotten better with age." he told me

"Better at sex?" I asked

He chuckled "That too. I meant your beauty."

"Are you saying I'm old?" I asked

"Babe."

"Well?" I asked

"Not even close. I just find you much more beautiful now as a mother." he clarified

I rolled my eyes. "You have to say that."

"I want to say it because it's true." he corrected me.

"Well your body is still perfect." I sighed

"I have to work hard if I want to keep my hot wife interested." he teased

"I don't know about hot, but I can assure you that I'm very interested." I smirked

I moved to straddle him and his eyes grew wide.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Did you want to leave for dinner now?" I teased

I felt him harden beneath me before I made a move to get off. He grabbed my hips and held me firmly in place.

"Forget dinner. I'll take you out for breakfast." he promised

*********************************************END SMUT**********************************

"We have to talk." I announced

I had just entered through the open door of Carlos' office. I turned and closed it behind me. I sat down at the chair in front of his desk and let out a deep sigh as he raised an eyebrow. It had been a month since our wild kid free night.

"I'm pregnant." I blurted out

His eyes grew wide and a smile spread across his face. He moved around the desk and quickly pulled me into his arms. My feet were off the ground as he spun me in a circle. I let him hold me for a minute before pulling away.

"Don't smile at me like that." I cautioned him

"This is great news Babe." he kissed me

"But I thought..." I argued

"You thought what?" he asked

I was still on the shot and we used condoms most times but had the occasional slip up. I was sure this happened when Carlos' parents had taken the kids overnight. We didn't think about anything but our joint pleasure.

"I thought we had decided we were done." I shrugged

"I didn't think we were done. Just taking a break." he smirked

"I was just worried that maybe you..." I was unsure

"I am so happy. I know we didn't plan it, but I couldn't be happier." his smile grew wider.

"But Mari is barely one and Alex is only two years old." I reminded him

"We can handle this." he winked

"Carlos" I whined

"You don't want it?" he suddenly asked

"I do!" I quickly answered

"So then?" he pushed

"The morning sickness and the weight gain." I sat down in a chair. "The pain."

"All worth it. You've already done this before Babe." he reminded me

"I know but..." I sighed

"Babe you will be amazing. The morning sickness will pass. You will get your body into whatever shape makes you happy once the baby is born." he assured me

"And the pain?" I questioned

"I can't help you with that. I can promise that you can squeeze my hand and call me names." he joked

I rolled my eyes. He breathed out a sigh of relief and pulled me up into a tight hug. He rubbed my back before he kissed my neck.

"I just want you to tell me we can do this. I just want you to make me feel more confident. I am feeling pretty overwhelmed right now." I confessed

He pulled back and cupped my face. He leaned in close and we were eye to eye.

"You are the strongest woman I know. You are an incredible mother. This baby will be lucky to have you Babe. We have a huge support system and money isn't a problem. We are married and we love each other. I will help you through every step of this pregnancy just like the others. This is an amazing gift and both of our hearts are plenty big enough to welcome another Manoso baby into our lives." he told me

I relaxed against him. It was as if a giant weight was lifted off of my shoulders.

"Thank you." I whispered before he kissed me

"I will happily spend the rest of my life reminding you just how amazing you are." he whispered against my lips.

"You make me better." my lips brushed his as I spoke.

He pulled back and kissed me on my nose. He held my shoulders and sighed as he looked into my eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked him

"I am not looking forward to this conversation." he admitted

"What conversation? About the baby?" I asked

"No." he answered quickly.

He sat down on the edge of his desk and motioned for me to take a seat in the chair behind me. I was nervous as I watched him trying to find the words to tell me the bad news that seemed inevitable. He rubbed the palms of his hands in his eyes. He looked frustrated and even a little nervous. Finally he clasped his hands in his lap and focused his eyes on me.

"Rangeman has been called in by the FBI to assist in a capture." he began

"Dangerous?" I interrupted

He nodded. "A child predator who murders his victims."

"Oh my gosh" I covered my mouth

"They took a guy into custody. He is in a skype group for other predators and pedophiles. This guy they caught Michael Nelson is a voyeur. He has not done anything with a child as far as they can tell. They got him for possession of child porn. They gave him immunity if he provided them with a way to catch Scott Zaxby. Zaxby is the predator that we know to have murdered his victims. There are six total victims that we know of." Carlos explained

"Okay, so Zaxby is the one you want. What does Nelson have to do with it?" I was curious

"Nelson gave us his skye information. We got it this morning and Hector is already on-line trying to lure Zaxby out for a meeting." Carlos went on.

"Okay. Then what? We capture him?" I asked

"We need to gather proof. We need one of the guys to go undercover and pretend to be interested in the life style. Zaxby likes to brag and we need to catch him on a wire. The Skype chats are not enough." he explained

"Okay. This doesn't sound too bad. We can get some scum off of the streets and at the same time firm up our relationship with the FBI." I nodded

"Yes, but we're not dealing with the agent we usually do. He's involved in another case. I only found out shortly before you walked in who the lead on this case is." he told me

"Who?" I asked

He hesitated "Jeanne Ellen Burrows."

"What?" my mouth hung open.

"After realizing she was no match for Rangeman as far as bond enforcement it seems she joined the FBI." he shrugged.

"And what? Now we have to work with her?" I felt my shoulders drop.

"We could turn down the case. We accepted before we knew she would be the contact." he got up

Carlos bent down to squat in front of me and took my hands in his.

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable with this Babe." he told me

I gently released his hands and got to my feet. I paced the room while I collected my thoughts. I knew I couldn't tell him to turn the case away. I knew this was bigger than my petty jealousy. But God I absolutely loathed this woman. I hadn't seen her since the auction four years ago when we apprehended Stone Pivot. That is unless you count seeing her on video when she tried to interfere with our company collecting an FTA. She ended up starring in a video show to me by Vaughn to convince me that my husband was cheating.

Vaughn. The nightmares were pretty non existent in my life now. I hadn't even thought about him in the last year or so. Now I would have to deal with her. She would be meeting with my husband to discuss this case. Every late night meeting I would worry because I knew she would attempt to seduce my husband and I would be gaining weight each week by the ton.

"I smell something burning." Carlos interrupted my thoughts.

"Where is the suspect? Zaxby?" I asked

"We believe he is hiding out in Yardley, Pennsylvania." he answered

"So, just over the bridge? No major travel involved? No hotel rooms involved?" I asked

"Babe"

"I know. I know. I know I can trust you. My heart and my brain both know I can trust you completely. I know you would never cheat on me. I know you love me. It's just..." I hesitated

"Steph, I told you I will turn it down if it makes you uncomfortable." he stood in front of me.

"Well, what if she drugs your drink? Men can be raped too you know." I told him

"The plan is never to be alone with her. That's for many reasons." he told me

"What reasons?" I asked

"To make sure she understands this is nothing other than business. To watch my back in case she tries to make allegations against Rangeman for sexual harassment or being inappropriate. I won't allow her any way to try to hurt or black mail us or our company. And now especially that I know you will be dealing with pregnancy hormones, having a guy with me will also give you some comfort in knowing I will never be alone with her." he assured me

"We're going to do it. I was never going to tell you to turn it down. Catching Zaxby is much more important than my stupid jealousy." I admitted.

"There is nothing more important to me in the world than our family." he pulled me close.

"I know." I met his eyes.

"Trust me?" he pleaded

"I do. I just don't trust her and I am jealous. Then I feel disappointed in myself for being jealous and worrying about her interfering in our marriage." I confessed

"I understand. I would feel the same way if we had to partner up with Morelli for an assignment." he cupped my face in his hands.

I grabbed his hands with mine and kept them in place. The phone on his desk buzzed letting us know it was the front desk in the lobby calling. He gave me a quick kiss on my lips before releasing me. He hit the speaker button.

"It's Manuel" the voice announced.

"What is it?" Carlos asked

"An Agent Burrows is here to see you with no appointment." Manuel explained.

Carlos glanced at me and I nodded.

"Tank will be down to greet her." Carlos answered

"Yes Sir." Manuel replied

Carlos hit the button to end the call and then called Tank.

"Burrows is here in the lobby. I need you to escort her up to conference room B. Take your time. I will tell Hector and Vince to meet us there." Carlos explained

Carlos disconnected and grabbed my hand. We went to Hector's office and Vince was already there. He told both of them to come with us to the conference room and Hector brought his laptop. We all entered the room together just as Ella was bringing in a cart with coffee and tea. She set the carafes on the table and set out a stack of cups. She winked at me as she set out sugar and creamer. I smiled at her and took a seat. I didn't want to be standing and look nervous. At least if I was sitting I could keep my fidgeting hands under the table. Ella asked if we needed anything else and we all thanked her before she left the room.

Carlos took the seat next to me and Hector sat on my other side. Vince stayed on his feet. He went to the wipe board and started writing down notes about the case. Tank came in a couple of minutes later followed by Jeanne Ellen. Her eyes caught sight of Carlos and a smile spread across her face. Then she noticed me at his side and her smile quickly disappeared.

"Agent Burrows." Carlos nodded his greeting.

"I thought we would be discussing the case privately." she looked confused

"All cases are handled by a team at Rangeman. We never operate without a partner." he explained.

"I thought it was explained to you. I will be your partner." she informed him.

"Rangeman doesn't work like that." he corrected her.

"Okay. Fine. But then you only need one partner right?" she asked

"My partner is Tank. Vince will be partnering with Brett who is on monitor duties at the moment. Hector is handling all computer operations and his partner is Stephanie." Carlos informed her.

Jeanne Ellen let out a laugh. "That big scary guy has a small female partner?"

Hector looked up. "Si."

"Why don't you have a seat?" Tank suggested to her.

She took a seat directly across from Carlos and glanced around the room before she spoke again.

"Where's my partner?" she asked

"You are not a part of Rangeman. You are a liaison for the FBI." he reminded her.

"I'm not just going to sit around in a conference room." she rolled her eyes

"When you are needed we will add you to one of our teams. The team will serve as your partner." Carlos explained.

"Okay Carlos have it your way. We will all have to find a way to work together." she forced a smile.

"Call me Ranger." he told her

"Ranger?" she looked confused

"Ranger. It's my street name. I don't go by Carlos outside of the building." he informed her.

She looked hurt but didn't say anything. She nodded her head but never opened her mouth. Vince took over the meeting. He explained that Hector had took up right where Nelson left off. He had befriended several of the men in the skype chat. He was slowly working on earning Zaxby's trust. He didn't want to come on too strong too quickly. The idea was to meet up one of the other members first so he had someone to vouch for him.

Jeanne Ellen listened to him but she kept stealing glances at Carlos. He took my hand and held ours together on top of the table. She cringed when she noticed our hands clasped together. Eventually Carlos ended the meeting with the order for us all to return to the room in two days to discuss the progress on the case.

"I am meeting up with Nelson today." Jeanne Ellen announced.

"You think he has more information to offer?" Vince asked her.

"It's quite possible." she tilted her head

"We should meet up for lunch tomorrow so I can update you on anything I am able to get out of him." she looked at Carlos.

"Vince and Brett can try to meet up with you." Carlos told her

"I was told you were the lead on this Carlos." she told him.

"Ranger" he corrected her

"Okay, I was told you were the lead Ranger." she sighed in frustration.

"I am, but I have no time available tomorrow afternoon." he explained

"Then dinner." she told him

"Dinner is family time." he told her

She rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you are going to be able to focus on this case?" she questioned him.

"Every case Rangeman works on receives our teams full attention. I have assigned three teams to this case. One team will always be available at a moments notice to follow up any leads." he assured her

"The FBI sought you out because you are the best." she reminded him

"I am the best because my team is the best. I am only as good as the people I choose to surround myself with." he informed her.

She rose to her feet and smiled at him.

"Then hopefully being around me will make you better." she flirted

"I am hopeful you can bring more knowledge to the case." he blew her off.

"I'll be in touch." she announced before she headed for the door.

"Tank will escort you out." Carlos told her

"I think I can find my way." she glared at him.

"This is a secure building. You don't have access to the stairs or elevators without a badge." he explained

"Great. That makes me feel real welcome." she spoke through gritted teeth.

Tank opened the door and motioned for her to exit the room first. He glanced back and smiled before he followed her out and closed the door behind him. I glanced at Carlos hoping he could read my thoughts. He nodded and I was sure he understood my question. I wanted to tell the guys I was pregnant.

"This is going to be fun." Hector shook his head

"I should let you guys in on something you should be aware of if I am on this team." I took a deep breath and let it out.

"What's up Steph?" Vince asked

"I just found out this morning that I am pregnant." I announced

"Angelito!" Hector exclaimed as he pulled me into a hug.

"Damn Carlos can't you let the girl breath?" Vince teased

"I can't help myself. My wife is irresistible." Carlos smirked.

"I just wanted you to understand my involvement will be limited. I will be going over whatever files and information we have and helping Hector with the chat." I informed them.

"No field work." Carlos elaborated.

"I understand if you want a different partner for this." I told Hector.

He shook his head. "You are my partner. I need your brilliant mind."

"Thank you." I kissed his cheek.

"You think Jeanne Ellen will be an issue?" Vince asked

"Si" Hector nodded

"She will try." Carlos nodded

"So how do we handle it?" Vince wondered.

"That woman is a pain in the ass." Tank announced as he rejoined us.

"We need to be vigilant when interacting with her. No one meets her alone. Always have back-up." Carlos announced

"She only wants to be alone with you." Tank chuckled

"She has no loyalty and no honor. I wouldn't put it past her to try to make something up. I wouldn't put it past her to try to put one of us in a bad situation and then use it as black mail." Carlos told the group.

"You think she would make up some kind of allegations?" Vince asked

"I know she's capable of it." Carlos answered

"Puta" Hector mumbled.

"Yes, its no secret she is eager to sleep her way to the top." Carlos nodded

"She doesn't do a thing for me." Vince looked disgusted

"She's hot." I finally spoke.

All four guys laughed.

"Babe"

"First of all we already have a hot Rangeman woman to look at every day." Vince winked

"Secondly none of us are interested in a disloyal whore." Tank added

"We're only working with her because we have to." Vince reminded me

"If it were my choice we would work with anyone else." Carlos chimed in

"It's not going to be easy to work with someone who lusts after my husband." I slumped back in the chair.

Hector grabbed my hand. "Angelito."

I sat up and leaned towards him.

"She is nothing compared to you. You have nothing to worry about." he squeezed my hand.

"No one's going to hurt our girl." Vince added

"We got your back Steph." Tank nodded

"Excuse me?" Carlos drew the attention towards him.

"Carlos?" Tank waited

"You all have nothing to worry about." he took my hand and kissed it.

"We know you would never cheat on Steph." Tank assured him.

"Because I would cut your dick off." I heard Hector's whisper.

Carlos snapped his head to look at Hector.

"If my dick goes anywhere near that viper I will hand you a dull blade." he told my protector.

"Okay..." Vince shifted uncomfortably. "I'm going to bring all of the information in here for Steph to go over."

"I'll meet you back here after lunch." I suggested

"Sounds good." Vince nodded.

Two weeks had passed and I spent a lot of time using Nelson's handle to talk in the Skype room. My English was better than Hector's and my profiling experience allowed me to push myself deeper into the men's lives. Every two days Jeanne Ellen would meet up with us in the conference room so that we could all update each other on the case. She was disappointed on two different occasions when Carlos was unable to attend. Today I would be the only one representing the team to meet her. Carlos insisted on Lester sitting in on the meeting with me so I wouldn't be completely alone with Jeanne Ellen.

"Where is everyone?" she asked after Woody had led her into the room.

"There was an incident with one of our clients." I explained

"Maybe I should come back." she suggested

"I can update you." I assured her.

She laughed "I doubt that."

"Have a seat." I told her.

"Who is this?" she looked at Lester.

"This is Rangeman's attorney. Lester Santos. Lester, this is Agent Burrows." I introduced them.

"Nice to meet you." Lester didn't get up or extend his hand.

"Should we be discussing the case in front of him?" she questioned

"All Rangeman staff are privy to information on a case when they need to be involved." I sighed

"And Lester needs to be involved? Are you afraid to be alone with me?" she asked

"Not at all." I tried to come across as confident

"I am here to go over the legalities of the case and make sure we are all handling every detail in a way that can't be used to give Zaxby any leverage when he goes to trial." Lester explained.

"Fine. So what's the status?" she asked me

"Vince posed as Hotboys4me. Nelson's screen name. He met up with another member and they had coffee and exchanged stories. After that it seemed to move us in even tighter to the group. Zaxby started messaging me privately" I began

"You?" she interrupted "I thought Hector was handling the Skype chat."

"It was handed over to me because of my experience with profiling." I explained

"Hmm" she squinted at me.

"What did you think I was brought in for?" I asked her

"To keep an eye on your husband. To make sure he didn't stray." she smirked.

"I don't need to babysit my husband." I glared at her.

"Speaking of babysitting..." she gave out a breathy laugh.

"What?" I asked

"Well, it's hard to compete with a baby factory. He is always going to feel stuck with you because you keep popping out babies. Well done by the way. Great way to keep him on the line." she gave me a nod.

Lester laughed and we both turned our attention to him.

"Sorry." he smiled "It's just the baby machine image."

"You find that amusing?" She asked him.

"Yeah. Because he's the one who can't let the poor girl breath in between babies." he chuckled

"Sure" she looked like she didn't believe him.

Just then Carlos entered the room. He made his way straight to me and pulled me up into his arms. He kissed me but when I moved to step away he pulled me in closer and deepened the kiss. Finally he came up for air and settled his hand on my stomach. He rubbed a couple of circles before he kissed my nose and took his seat.

"Oh Agent Burrows. I didn't know you were here already." Carlos smiled.

"I rest my case." Lester laughed

"Lester." Carlos nodded.

"Didn't notice me either." Lester winked at Jeanne Ellen. "We're all pretty used to it by now."

Jeanne Ellen's mouth hung open as she looked back and forth from Carlos to me.

"You're pregnant again?" she asked me

I nodded "The baby factory is in full production."

She shook her head. "I guess you just guaranteed yourself another few months."

"What are we discussing?" Carlos asked as he looked between her and me.

"How I use my uterus as a weapon." I chuckled

Carlos raised an eyebrow as he glanced at me.

"It's the super sperm." Lester added

Carlos smiled and then turned to Jeanne Ellen. "Let's focus on the case."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19- Thirty years old- part 2

It had been almost two months since we first accepted the case from the FBI and I felt like we were finally getting somewhere. As our Hotboys4me Skype handle because more submerged into the disgusting world of predators, keeping up the character became harder. After Hector broke three different lap tops Vince stepped in to help me. After he broke his desk top we decided that I would be the one to keep up the group chats.

I would have much rather preferred being back in a room with Vaughn than do this job. I would much rather do anything else. I told myself I needed to do this to protect not just my men but so many others. I would find my mind daydreaming about being kidnapped, stalked or having my cars blown up. Maybe those terrible things had happened to me in another life or maybe they were just the worst things I could imagine that would still be better than playing this role.

I couldn't walk away from this now. It didn't matter how it made me feel, because I knew it needed to be done. Every time I felt it was getting to me I would close my eyes and think about Alex and how this would protect him and little boys like him. My morning sickness was gone, but I kept a bucket next to my desk that I frequently used just from the conversations. I refused to participate in the chats or anything associated with Nelson's account in my home. I only did it from the office. I just couldn't bare to bring the vile into my home with my children.

Carlos had repeatedly tried to get me to find someone else. I reminded him there was no one else. I couldn't push this back on Vince or Hector. This was no longer a case to me, it was THE case. I was anxious for it to come to a successful ending. I was worried if things didn't go our way I may end up murdering Zaxby on my own. There was no way I would allow this animal near any children. Right now the chats were just rehashing old stories. I knew he wouldn't wait much longer. He seemed to last no more than four months between attacks.

There wasn't one person on the team who didn't see the toll this was taking on us all except for Jeanne Ellen. It didn't seem to faze her at all. When we got together for our updates I would pass around copies of the chats. The guys would glance over them quickly and then toss them in the shredder knowing I had already made separate notes of anything relating to our case. Not Jeanne Ellen though. She would look it over like she as trying to find a mistake I made. Several times she called me out for not participating enough.

She was either so in love with Carlos it made her strong enough to get past all of the vile so she could focus on finding my faults or she was a very cold and heartless woman. From what she showed me Jeanne Ellen spent most of her time on the case doing nothing to help us. She was either flirting with Carlos or trying to make me look bad. She was getting no where with either quest. I had no doubt about my husband's faithfulness and I knew my guys always had my back. Even if I did make a mistake they would be the first to offer solutions rather than feeling the need to reprimand me

I was buzzing with excitement as we began our update meeting. Finally I had been able to set up a meting Zaxby.

"I still don't understand why it took you over two months." Jeanne Ellen rolled her eyes

I blew out a sigh from deep within my throat and focused my eyes on the ceiling.

"I couldn't just say 'hey Zaxby let's meet up' " I explained.

"So, I guess you're not as good as you think you are. I am sure I could have had it set up in less than a month." she rolled her eyes

"And you would have gotten nothing." Lester glared

Jeanne Ellen laughed "There's not a man who is immune to my ways of interrogation."

"I can think of quite a few right in this building." Tank muttered

She ignored his comment and turned to Carlos.

"When will we question him?" she asked

"We won't." he stated

"What?" her mouth dropped open.

"Vince will meet him and get him to talk. We will get everything recorded." Carlos explained

"I want to talk to him." she demanded

"You are free to talk to him all that you want after we turn him over to the FBI." Carlos looked aggravated.

"We'll see." she glared

"Everything's set." Hector announced as he came into the room.

"Set? Already? Wait! I haven't been briefed." Jeanne Ellen jumped to her feet.

"You will be observing from here." Carlos told her

"But..." she tried to argue

"With me." he shut her up

She glanced my way and let a giant smile spread across her face.

I wasn't worried at all because I had helped plan it all out with the guys during our own meeting yesterday. Vince and Zaxby were set to meet up tonight at a local bar. The bar was near the edge of Stark Street. It was a step above scary and quite a few steps below family friendly. Brett would be inside covering Vince. We had a team in a van outside led by Hector. The van was set up to record every whisper. We had our newest technology placed to pick up everything with no room for mistakes. We had placed a bug under all twenty tables and under each of the ten bar stools.

Camera were placed everywhere to catch every angle of the meeting. Nothing would be left to chance. We had some new hires in place as well. Ram would be serving as bartender. Manny and Cal were covering the back door. We knew no of us could go through this again. Carlos and Tank would be staying at Rangeman. Carlos and I had a brief argument about where I would be. He wanted me at Rangeman and I wanted to cover my partner. We finally compromised when Hector insisted on taking our new tech expert Rodriquez with him.

Vince's job was to get Zaxby to brag about the things he had done. Vince would challenge him by asking for details as proof. I felt like I was the only one who could really see how much Vince had been struggling with this case. It was hard for me to be in the Skype chat and read the vile things these men would discuss. Having to join in with made up details proved much more difficult that I had originally anticipated. Vince was the one who had to meet up with these guys and keep a steady face as he listened to the stories face to face. We reassured each other by knowing that more of these men would be prosecuted by the end of this mission. This meeting with Zaxby would hopefully be the last time Vince would have to deal with looking into the eyes of someone truly evil.

Jeanne Ellen was already in the conference room with Tank and Carlos when I entered. She rolled her eyes when she saw me enter.

"Where's your partner?" she asked

"In the van." I answered

I crossed over to the table and set down a notebook and pen. I went for water to try to calm my nerves. Jeanne Ellen laughed and turned to look at her in question.

"It's very disappointing." she shook her head

"What is?" I asked

"You've abandoned your partner to baby sit your husband." she smirked

"Listen!" I began

"Quiet." Tank ordered

"Go time." Brett's voice came over the speaker

So here we were gathered around the screen in the conference room waiting for Zaxby to join Vince at the bar. Over the last couple of months Jeanne Ellen continued to be a pain in my ass. She was constantly flirting with Carlos and making nasty comments whenever she could. Hector or Lester seemed to always be at my side when she was around. Between Hector's growls and Lester's jokes I felt more relaxed at having to work with her. I was on edge tonight and had no patience for her and her petty bullshit.

"Any sighting?" Vince asked

"Not yet." Brett answered

"Nothing yet." Hector confirmed

I let out a deep breath and found myself pacing in front of the window. I felt eyes on me and glanced up to see Jeanne Elle. She was smiling at me so I sent her back a fake one. I watched as she moved closer to stand beside Carlos. Her smile changed to a smirk. I didn't care. I felt bloated and nauseous. I was worried about Vince and the toll this case would take on him. Having to submerge into this world would not be easy to recover from. Lester came to where I stood now looking out the window and wrapped me up into a hug.

"It's going to okay Beautiful." he assured me

"I know. I just can't help but worry. Vince..." I trailed off

"I know." he pulled away and met my eyes.

"Oops." I heard Jeanne Ellen's voice

I glanced over at her. She dropped a paper and bent at the hip to pick it up. Her ass was aimed at Carlos. He glanced over and then quickly looked away. When she came up she spun around quickly and made a noise as she fell in to Carlos. On instinct he quickly caught her. She wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on even as he let his arms drop away from her. She smiled as she looked up into his eyes. I was angry but not in the way she wanted. I blew out an aggravated breath and stalked towards them.

"Can you try to take this case seriously?" I asked her

"Oh, I am taking this very seriously." she purred

She clung to him and looked up into his eyes. He moved his hand to his neck and disengaged her arms from around him. She stood up and glanced around the room. No one was smiling at her. If anything their faces were filled with disgust. I couldn't help myself as I crossed the room and came within a foot of her.

"Maybe you don't get it. This isn't a time for your bullshit. One of our men will soon be sitting in front of a murderer and a child predator. The restraint required of him is too much to ask. The things he will have to say and listen to are unimaginable. I think all of us would much rather kill this guy than turn him into the FBI." I explained

She rolled her eyes. "His victims crossed state lines so he belongs to the FBI."

"Damn it Jeanne Ellen. It's not that." I growled

"What?" she was annoyed

"What if after all of his he gets off? What if he hurts another child?" I felt the tears well up in my eyes.

Carlos crossed the room in three long strides. He quickly gathered me into his arms. He pulled me tight and then rubbed my back as he rested his lips on my forehead.

"Babe"

"I know. I'm emotional. It's the hormones." I sniffled

"I don't know how he tolerates you, what a nightmare." Jeanne Ellen muttered below her breath.

"It is a nightmare for Vince. Don't you get it?" I pushed Carlos gently to the side.

"Let me know when you are done ranting and raving." Jeanne Ellen held up a hand to cut me off.

I got right in her face and pushed my finger into her chest.

"You are a heartless bitch. You sit in here and plot and plan ways to flirt with a man who is happily married with children. The rest of us are working night and day dealing with the most disgusting men you can imagine. This case will be with us all long after it's over. " I used my finger against her chest to emphasize my points.

Jeanne Ellen shook her head. "I am just trying to lighten the mood. It's not my fault if your hormones are making you sad and morose. Maybe you need to remove yourself from the case. Perhaps you are not able to pay attention to your husband's needs. Maybe he needs to get fulfillment elsewhere."

Both Carlos and Lester took a step towards us, but it was Tank who surprised me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me away from Jeanne Ellen. Carlos moved around me and got within inches of her face. She smiled.

"If you want to stay in this room you had better take a seat and keep your mouth shut. If you can't do that then you need to leave. I will not have you upsetting my wife or putting this mission at risk." Carlos glared at her

She took a step closer to him and he didn't step away. I found myself gasping at the closeness.

Carlos chuckled "Desperation is not attractive. If we didn't have to work with you on this case I would have already kicked your ass out of this building."

"And if Steph wasn't pregnant I would let her whoop your ass." Tank spoke next

Jeanne Ellen turned to Carlos. She tilted her head and threw out her bottom lip in a pout.

"I thought this was a professional organization. Are you really going to let your wife threaten me? She obviously has no control if she has to be held back by one of your goons." she moved closer to him.

"GOONS?" I screamed "How dare you?"

She turned to me with a level of fear or surprise in her eyes. I opened my mouth again and this time spoke more calmly.

"Tank is a hero. He is an Army Ranger. He has done things for our country that keeps us all safe. You should be thanking him for your safety and freedom. Freedom that allows you to say whatever you want, but you should remember that doesn't mean there won't be consequences to your words."

"I'm not going to stand here and be berated by this...this..." she hesitated as she turned to Carlos

"You want to be very careful with the next word that comes out of your mouth." Carlos ordered

"This woman." Jeanne Ellen glared

"Stephanie's words and behavior are a direct result of your unprofessional behavior. You have exhausted my patience. Now you will sit down and be quiet so we can listen to this meeting or you can leave. Those are the only two choices I will offer you." Carlos told her.

He stepped way from her as she plopped down into a seat. Carlos held out his hand to me and I went to him. I laid my hand in his and he pulled it to his lips and kissed it. He took his seat and I sat beside him. Tank moved to my other side. Lester was pacing and the room was now silent.

"Zaxby has arrived." Hector announced.

I sat up straighter in my chair and Carlos squeezed my hand. I looked at his calm face and closed my eyes. I let out a deep sigh as I tried to regain my focus.

"I have visual." Ram confirmed a couple of minutes later.

"Confirmed." Brett spoke next

I turned to look at the screen.

"Pleasure to meet you." Zaxby held out his hand to Vince.

"Mike." Vince confirmed his cover.

"Scott." Zaxby smiled.

Both men took their seats. A waitress came over and took their drink order. Both men waited for her to depart before they spoke again.

"I think we'll make a great team." Zaxby looked excited

"Can't wait to work with you." Vince smiled

"This will make things so much easier for us both." Zaxby wiggled his eyebrows

"I need to know you can handle yourself. It's too big of a risk to enter into this with someone who can't handle it. I'm not going to jail." Vince warned

"I have done this before. I am a pro at getting rid of the bodies. Dead boys tell no tails." Zaxby gave an evil grin.

I felt my body shiver and Carlos glanced at me before putting his hand on my thigh to comfort me.

"My victims have been boys I was sure would not talk. I have moved around a lot. I keep several ID's." Vince confided his fake story.

Zaxby laughed "Too much trouble. Cross the border into Jersey. Grab a kid, have your fun and then get rid of him."

"I don't know if I have the stomach for that. How do you do it? Gun? knife?" Vince asked

"One bullet to the head." Zaxby winked

"You've done this and gotten away with it? No issues with the cops?" Vince asked

Zaxby pointed to his temple. "I am smarter than them."

"I don't know." Vince hesitated

"Okay, listen. Let me tell you about this kid Tommy Rowser." I picked him up in Trenton on Stark street. He was six years old and outside playing all by himself. I grabbed him and took him to a hotel in Bordentown. That mouth..."

I heard nothing else. Lester came running to me with a garbage can and I threw up. Carlos grabbed my hair as I continued to empty the entire contents of my stomach. Then came the dry heaves. This was the most disgusting thing I had ever had to deal with. Give me the dead bodies and slit throats. Anything but children. Anything but hurting a child. Carlos rubbed my back with his free hand and Tank turned off the audio.

"So weak." I heard Jeanne Ellen mutter

"So heartless." I heard Lester whisper

Carlos took me to his office to lay on the couch and brought me a cold wet cloth for my head. He rubbed my cheek as the tears fell down my face.

"That poor little boy." I sobbed "Our Alex Carlos. Alex is almost five."

"Babe, relax. I know this is terrible. In all of my missions and everything I have ever done I have never had to deal with something so vile and repulsive. Why do you think I had begged you to back away from this?" he kept his hand on my cheek.

"I know." I moaned

"You need to relax. It's not goof for the baby. Think of Vince Babe. Think of Vince who can't turn off the audio. We need to focus on him." Carlos spoke softly.

"You're right." I sniffled "Vince."

I vaulted off of the couch and ignored the dizzy feeling. I went to the bathroom ad brushed my teeth before I got myself together. Carlos and I went back to the conference room hand in hand. Lester and Tank both looked at me with question in their eyes. I forced a smile and nodded at Tank. He turned the audio back on and I took a seat. I didn't look at Jeanne Ellen at all. She was the last thing on my mind right now.

For the next hour we each found our own ways to cope. I sat mostly quiet in my seat occasionally writing down notes. Lester stayed by the window. He occasionally glanced at me to check in but mostly paced. Tank had slammed his fist down onto the table during one particularly hard to hear story. When he saw me jump he gave me a look of apology and I gave him a look of understanding. I felt Carlos squeeze my hand a few times before he finally rose to his feet. He leaned against a wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He needed to find his own escape.

Finally it was over. Vince walked out the back door with Zaxby and he was immediately taken into custody by Manny. I watched as Vince went straight to the awaiting SUV. We couldn't risk anyone touching Zaxby. There was no way we would give his lawyer anything that might call our integrity into question. We needed everything to be completely on the up and up. Lester had made sure that we had paperwork on everything we had done. In the beginning he found a very sympathetic judge who was eager to provide us with every warrant we needed.

It was the longest twenty minutes of my life as we waited for Vince to return. We all sat in the conference room waiting. Finally the door opened and I was on my feet before I even saw him. I pulled Vince into my arms and wrapped him into a tight hug. He was stiff for only a second before he wrapped his arms around me. He buried his head into my shoulder and I felt his body shake. I knew he was silently sobbing. I held him closer and felt my tears return as well.

"Let's take a break. Everyone go grab dinner in the break room." Carlos demanded

"We need a debriefing first." Jeanne Ellen told him

"This is my office and my operation. You have a one hour dinner break. You can leave or spend it in the break room. Everyone out of the conference room." he commanded

"Debrief in one hour." Tank announced through the comm unit

Everyone left the room including Carlos. Once the room was empty Vince pulled away from me and I could see the tears falling down his face. I watched as his eyes turned from sadness to anger. He grabbed a chair and threw it against the wall. I didn't jump or even move at all. I was trying to search my mind for something to say or do to calm Vince or give him some comfort. I didn't know what to say or do because I felt sad and angry as well.

"Enough" Carlos barked

Vince and I both snapped our heads to the door. Carlos stood just inside with Alex in his arms. I felt a feeling of calm pass through me at the site of his innocent face. Carlos set Alex down and his little legs were moving before he hit the ground. He went straight for Vince who bent down to greet him. Alex launched himself into Vince's arms.

"Uncle Vince." Alex smiled

"How's my little ninja?" Vince asked him

Carlos moved to my side and slung an arm around my shoulders. We watched as Vince sat down on the floor and watched Alex tell him all about his day. Alex showed him some new karate moves he had been practicing and Vince beamed at his favorite student. I wrapped my arm around Carlos' waist and pulled him tighter against me. He knew just the right thing to do to comfort both Vince and myself. Seeing my son smile and laugh as he spent time with his Uncle helped me let go of the disgusting memories of the night.

"We should show mommy too." Vince told Alex

I glanced over and Vince winked at me as he motioned me over. I joined him on the floor as we watched Alex demonstrate his moves for us. Ella brought in grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for us. She knew this was Vince's favorite comfort food. He gave her a smile as we all sat down together to eat our dinner in the conference room.

"What is this a daycare?" Jeanne Ellen asked

Vince was holding up his hands for Alex to practice his moves while Carlos and I sat on the floor watching. I tried to jump to my feet but my belly had me moving a little slower than usual. Carlos jumped up and took my hand to help me up.

"It's time for bed little Ninja." Vince told Alex.

"Daddy let me get up." Alex smiled at Vince.

"Yes Alex, but now we have business and you have to get some sleep." Carlos warned

Alex looked at his father and saw his stern look. He nodded and then turned to Vince. Vince pulled him into his arms and Alex placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Love you" Alex told him

"Love you too little ninja" Vince squeezed him tight against him.

I moved closer and Vince passed Alex to me. I pulled him tight against me and kissed the top of his head. Carlos wrapped his arm around my waist and his other around Alex. He kissed our sons forehead and then my cheek.

"Daddy." Alex chastised his father.

"I know." Carlos smirked

"Mine." Alex reminded him.

Alex cupped my face with both of his hands and kissed each of my cheeks and then pressed a quick kiss to my lips. Carlos chuckled beside me and I couldn't help but smile.

"I'll put him back to bed." Ella appeared

Alex turned in my arms and held his out to her.

"Story?" He asked her

"Yes nieto." she smiled at him (grandson)

She took him in her arms and nodded at us.

"Goodnight love." I told him

"Goodnight mommy. Night daddy. Night Uncle Vince." Ella moved him towards the door.

"Goodnight Uncle Lester." he spoke as he passed

"Goodnight Uncle Tank" he kept going

"Goodnight Uncle Hector. Goodnight Uncle Brett." he yawned

I held my breath as Ella moved my son past Jeanne Ellen.

"Goodnight wicked witch." he smiled

I squeezed my lips together tightly trying to hide my smile. He was using the name I had called her behind her back. He had asked me what I was working on a few weeks ago and I told him a wicked witch brought us an important case to help little kids. He obviously had determined that Jeanne Ellen was the witch. Vince and Lester both laughed out loud. Tank and Hector hid their laughter and Brett just smirked.

"Babe" Carlos whispered

I glanced at him and the corners of his mouth were lifted in a slight smile. I looked back at Jeanne Ellen and she just glared at me. She went to open her mouth and then quickly closed it when she met Carlos' eyes. I looked back at him and gasped. His glare was enough to make anyone piss their pants. He was sending her a message to keep her mouth shut around our son. This was obviously a message she received loud and clear.

Once Alex was gone everyone began to take their seats. Vince took a seat next to me and we held hands under the table. Carlos was on his feet waiting for everyone to sit. He noticed our hands locked and gave me a nod of approval. I knew he understood my need to comfort Vince and he approved of the comfort it provided me as well. Jeanne Ellen quickly moved into the seat on the other side of Carlos and I sighed. This was going to be a long debriefing.

Hector discussed which cameras and microphones had caught the best sound and picture. He was very happy about the new equipment and suggested we order more and sell off our old equipment. Tank reported on the equipment in the conference room and marveled at how clear the audio and video had been. Ram gave report on the bar owner and his willingness to allow us to basically commandeer his place for the night. He would be a good partner in the future. Rodriguez explained that he had already begun working on the transcripts for the audio and would have them to deliver before noon tomorrow.

Manny informed us about his pass off to the FBI. He assured us they were very happy with our work and he made sure Zaxby was completely secure before the hand off. I felt Vince's hand release mine. He rubbed circles around my belly and then sat back in his seat more relaxed. He announced that his report would also be ready by noon tomorrow. Jeanne Ellen rose to her feet.

"Despite some questionable tactics and a great deal of unprofessional behavior." she began as she shot a look to me

"I am happy with the end result of this operation. I plan to tell my supervisor that Rangeman is a great company to work with. I will let him know that we have formed a great partnership and look forward to working with you in the future." she smiled at Carlos

"I know he will be very pleased at the end result. It was important to get the information and bring Zaxby in. I consider this mission a success and look forward to working with you again.." she announced before taking her seat.

She smiled but no one returned it. Lester sneered at her and most of the other guys didn't even look at her when she spoke. Carlos rose to his feet and cleared his throat. He had the attention of everyone in the room.

"To say that I am proud of you all doesn't even come close to how I feel. This was a very difficult operation. Not one of you shied away from doing what it took to bring down this evil bastard. I can give you my word that I will make sure Zaxby is brought to justice. Thank you all for your hard work and professionalism in dealing with this case. We have proved to the FBI that Rangeman can accomplish jobs that they are unable to do and made us invaluable to them for future jobs."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"As soon as your reports are done I want everyone in here to go offline for forty-eight hours. I have hired a couple of contract workers to come in and man the monitors. All other staff not involved will be filling in for you. It's important to decompress and regain your focus on the next mission. Rangeman is not just a successful business but also a family that works best when we all work together." he patted my shoulder.

"Jeanne Ellen." he turned to address her

I watched her lean back in her chair and look up at him. She beamed with pride as she felt his attention completely focused on her.

"Thank you for being our FBI liaison on this case." he began

She glanced at me and smirked before focusing her attention back on Carlos.

"Unfortunately I don't think our partnership was valuable in this case. I will be making my own recommendations to your supervisor. I don't think working with you is a good partnership for Rangeman. I will be demanding that any future work we accept from the FBI will not include you as a liaison. It was a volatile partnership that could have ruined the mission if it were not for the constant restraint and professionalism shown by my people. "

I watched as her mouth dropped open and her eyes glistened with wetness. I resisted the urge to gloat. I knew his words were hurting her more than anything I could say or do.

"Dismissed." Carlos announced.

I got to my feet and hugged Vince who was already standing.

"Call me if you need anything." I told him

"Call you? I'll see you in a few hours." he smiled

"What?" I was confused

"My student would be very upset if I missed a lesson." he held his smile.

"You're right about that." I found myself smiling with him.

"I'll pick Alex up at ten." he informed me

"Sounds good." I agreed

The men fist bumped each other and I received hugs from each and every one of them. I noticed Jeanne Ellen quietly arguing with Carlos but paid no attention. Hector, Lester, Tank and I were the only ones left in the room. We stood together near the door trying to coax each other into celebrating our victory. It would be hard to find our happy until we could call let go of this case. I heard sniffling behind me and turned to see Jeanne Ellen throw herself into Carlos' arms. She seemed to be crying but there were no tears. She was seeking comfort from him but he gave her nothing. I watched him gently grab her wrists as he stepped away from her. He pointed towards the door and spoke calmly.

"You are dismissed." he glared at her

"But..." she tried to argue.

"You can leave on your own two feet or I can have you carried out." he threatened.

She gathered her things and moved towards the door. We all stepped over to the side to avoid her path. She straightened up and seemed to hold her head up higher than usual and schooled her face to look blank. We were silent as she passed us. I was just about to let out a sigh of relief when she spun around. She smiled at me and moved closer. She stopped inches from me and her smile grew.

"I have some advice for you." she began

I waited for her to continue. When she didn't I used my hand to make the motion for her to get on with it.

"You should never give your full attention to a job. You may have trapped him into marriage but a man like Carlos needs constant attention or he is likely to seek it somewhere else."

I opened my mouth to argue with her but she held up her hand as a stop sign.

"While I did enjoy spending the last two months around Carlos, having to spend time with these brainless goons and your incompetence was nearly unbearable. "

I glared at her and she shook her head.

"If you get another case like this one or if Zaxby gets off and you need to trap him again you won't have to waste months looking for a way to lure him in.". There is a way to do this much quicker. "

"What's that?" I asked

"Get your son involved. I am sure Zaby would find him irresistible."

That was the last thing I remembered her saying. I was on her before any of the men could stop me. I never before felt the rage that coursed through my blood. It was as if I had blacked out because I lost some time. The next thing I knew I was straddling her with my gun pressing into her forehead. I could hear Hector trying to gt my attention but I didn't look away from her face. Her nose looked crooked and the blood dripping from her nose was sliding down her cheek. More blood trickled from her cracked and swollen upper lip. I noticed the red mark around her right eye as I kept my eyes focused on her face.

"You're crazy." she growled at me.

"Don't talk." Lester cautioned her.

"Babe"

I heard them both but didn't take my attention away from Jeanne Ellen. I clicked off the safety and watched her eyes grow wide.

"Stephanie." Hector called to me

"Steph." Tank tried

"Babe, she's not worth it." Carlos told me

"You're not going to get away with this. Drop your gun bitch. I am a federal agent." Jeanne Ellen ordered

I pressed the gun harder into her forehead.

"Shut the fuck up." Lester yelled at her

"Stephanie." Carlos called to me

"What?" I growled

"We need to check in on the kids and get some sleep." he told me

"In a minute." I told him through clenched teeth

"I will be pressing charges." Jeanne Ellen threatened

"If you don't shut up you won't live to press charges." Tank cautioned her.

I smelled Carlos' shower gel as I felt him squatting beside me. He reached out and placed his hand on my belly. I could feel the warmth of his hand through my thin t-shirt. His other hand moved to my wrist and waited for my response. When I didn't move he slowly crept his hand down to mine and wrapped a hand around the gun. I opened my hands as he gently pulled it out of my grip. Jeanne Ellen immediately started to wiggle underneath me.

"Don't. Move." Carlos' voice was filled with anger.

He tucked my gun into the back of his pants and pulled me up to my feet. I stepped over Jeanne Ellen and let him pull me to his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and I heard Jeanne Ellen groan as she got to her feet.

"I am going to press charges. This is ridiculous." her voice sounded like she had a cold.

"Charges for what? We all watched you trip and smack your face into the table." Lester told her

"That's bullshit." she screeched

"That's what I saw." Tank told her.

I turned in Carlos' arms but he kept me tightly pressed against him. I watched Tank shrug and Jeanne Ellen turned to Hector.

"You're lucky you didn't have more damage." he told her "That table is oak."

The men smiled at me as Jeanne Ellen growled. Her face was filled with rage.

"It's your word against four witnesses." Lester smiled

"It's time for you to go." Hector told her.

She turned to look at Carlos. Her eyes pleaded with him. She expected him to say or do something. He released me and gently moved me behind him. He stood still for a minute and Tank moved around the group and stepped behind me. He was close enough for me to feel his breath against my hair. Jeanne Ellen's eyes grew wide as Carlos slowly stepped closer to her. She gave me a quick smirk and then beamed as she looked up at Carlos. The bleeding had stopped but she still had blood on her lip and below her nose. The pink around her eye seemed to have already darkened from the last time I saw her. He was nearly nose to nose with her. I watched him curiously.

"I told you before and I won't repeat myself again. I want to make sure you are very clear on what I am telling you. Stay away from my wife, my children and my company. This is my family. If there is any threat to my family it will be eliminated with no warning. You will refrain from trying to insert yourself into any business that may involve Rangeman in the future."

His voice was cold and his glare made her shiver in fear.

"But Carlos..." her voice shook

"Ranger." he corrected her with a growl.

"Ranger..." she sniffled

"Don't. I don't want to hear another word. You repulse me. Get out of my site." he commanded

She lowered her head and stepped back. She turned towards the door and walked out. Tank followed behind her to escort her out of the building.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20- Thirty years old- part 3

"That's the best news I have heard all day." I heard Lester's voice.

I stepped out of my office and into the hall to see what had him sounding so happy. He was on the phone and looked up when he saw me. He greeted me with a huge grin and held one finger up signaling me to wait for a minute. I nodded and then jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I spun around to find Hector behind me. I gave him a smile. He seemed like he was a little down. He was upset.

"Can I?" he asked

I nodded and he moved around to step in front of me. He rubbed his hand over my belly and I saw a calm wash over his face. Some of the men had taken to rubbing my belly when they needed a smile or to feel some peace. They always asked first as to not surprise or upset me. I always allowed it. They were my family and I was pleased to be able to offer them some comfort.

"I have some very good news Beautiful." Lester told me.

Hector straightened up and we both looked up to see what Lester had to say. He slid his phone into his back pocket His thumbs locked into the belt loops of his jeans and he rocked back on his heels.

"The FBI now has one less agent." he smirked

"About time." Hector smiled

"As soon as our contact got the report from Carlos they dismissed her." Lester informed us.

Hector and I hugged and he kissed me on the cheek. I let out a sigh of relief. Lester pulled me into a hug and I relaxed against him. I had been worried ever since Jeanne Ellen left the building a month ago. Now I could relax knowing we would never have to deal with her again. Now when the FBI called us with a case we could accept it without having to worry about dealing with her.

"Ding Dong the witch is dead." Lester sang

Hector and I both laughed. Carlos came out of his office to investigate.

"What's up?" he asked us.

"The FBI kicked Jeanne Ellen to the curb." Hector told him

"It's a great day. Nothing but good news." Carlos noted

"You have more?" I asked him

"It seems Gaxby was murdered in jail." he smiled

"But...you didn't..." I looked at him.

"Babe"

"Tree jumpers never last long in prison Steph. It's just how it is." Lester told me

"Tree jumpers?" I asked

Hector nodded. "That's what they call pedophiles. Even the lowest of the low don't take that shit lightly."

"After a week of beatings he was raped in the shower." Carlos told us.

"Couldn't happen to a nicer guy." Vince said as he approached us.

"He required stitches." Carlos explained

"That's awful and I love it at the same time. " I cringed

"Babe, he deserved it. He deserved that kind of pain." Carlos reminded me as I nodded.

"Stitches in your ass? That has to be painful." Hector smiled

"Then his roommate got sick of his stories and stabbed him with a shank. He hit him in the throat. Gaxby bled out all night long, unable to call for help." Carlos explained

"It still won't ever make up for what he did. At least he suffered." Vince was pleased

"Are we screwed up to be happy about this?" I asked them.

"Not even a little bit." Carlos pulled me into his arms.

"You're never going to believe this." Brett came jogging down the hall.

"Today I would believe anything." Carlos told him.

"Are we still looking for someone to do distractions?" Brett asked

"Nah. No one can do it better than Steph. We just have to be more creative with our captures." Hector told him

"If Carlos could just let her breath for a second. It seems like she has been pregnant since the day she graduated college." Lester chuckled

"Hey! That's not true." I playfully slapped his arm.

"I can't help myself." Carlos whispered in my ear. "And neither can you."

"An application just came in. She dropped it off in the lobby." Brett interrupted

"Just go down there and tell her the position has been filled." Vince shrugged

"I think the boss might want to tell her in person." Brett smirked

"Why would that be necessary?" I asked him

"The applicant is Jeanne Ellen Burrows." Brett announced.

I pulled away from Carlos and stared at Brett in disbelief.

"You gotta be kidding me." Lester shook his head.

"She's got some set of balls." Vince remarked.

"I'll be happy to meet with her." I looked at Carlos

"No" all five men said at once.

"I don't want you to." I pleaded "I blame it on my hormones."

"Pregnancy jealousy?" Brett laughed "Never heard of it."

"You have nothing to worry about Beautiful." Lester reminded me

"I guess. But, I still want to talk to her." I told them."

"There is no way in hell she is coming anywhere near you." Tank popped out of his office

"She's not going to give up." I announced "She will just keep trying to force herself into our lives."

"Steph's right." Vince nodded

"Jeanne is just not right in the head." Hector told us

"Carlositis." Lester laughed

"Hey!" I punched his shoulder. "That's not funny."

"Sounds like a disease." Hector shook his head.

"She could have plans to go after Stephanie." Brett suggested "We need to take care of this now."

"She's not going to get near her." Carlos glared.

"Agreed." Tank added

"So then what's the plan? Just ignore her? That's not going to work." I asked

"No, we can't ignore her." Vince answered

I glanced around at each man. Carlos kept his glare. Hector shook his head. Lester blew out a deep breath. Tank's eyes were hooded with anger. Brett watched Carlos waiting for him to speak. But it was Vince that had me nervous. His fists were clinched at his sides and I heard a growl slip out as he closed his eyes to regain control. He still hadn't completely got over the case. He had confided in me that he was having nightmares. It hurt my heart to know how miserable he was.

"I want her removed from our lives. Permanently." Vince finally spoke.

"Vince..." I started

"No Stephanie." he shook his head "None of that compassionate shit now. We all love you. You are a sweetheart. Always looking for the best in everyone. There is nothing inside of that bitch but a cold, dead, black heart. I don't want her anywhere near you or my niece and nephew. She has no respect for you. She would happily ruin your marriage in a heartbeat. What she said about Alex..."

"I know." I nodded "I should have killed her when I had the chance."

"No" Carlos pulled me tight against him.

"That's not you Steph. You would have just beat yourself up about it." Lester told me

"So now what?" Brett asked

"First of all we need to protect Stephanie." Tank explained

I let out a disgusted breath. "Don't worry about me. You're not going to lock me up."

"Temporarily." Hector added

"Hector."" I whined

"You're pregnant." Brett added

"I know but..." I sighed

"There are no buts. I won't risk it." Carlos told me.

"Understood." I resigned

"Thank you" Carlos kissed the top of my head.

"We need to end this." Vince tried to control his anger.

"She's a woman, you can't..." I warned

"She's not a woman. She's an evil bitch." Vince glared.

"She is no lady. That's for sure." Lester shook his head

"Do you have a plan?" I asked

"Let's go to the conference room." Carlos announced.

"I want to interview her." I announced.

I was standing at the head of the conference room table. Everyone else was seated and all heads snapped to look at me when I spoke.

"No way" Lester shook his head.

"Hear me out." I implored

"Steph..." Hector started

"Listen, I feel like I need to address her. After the last time I saw her..." I stuttered

How could I possibly explain to them that I needed this. I needed to confront Jeanne Ellen. I had given her a great deal of thought since holding a gun on her in this very conference room. I knew what she said about Alex was meant to push me. I knew she was trying to bait me. Her obsession with Carlos was like nothing I had ever seen before. I knew women who were treated badly by men. Being kicked like a dog and still coming back for more. But this was different. Carlos was never her lover, he was never with her. As a profiler she was an enigma to me. It baffled me that she was so dilusional. She couldn't see that Carlos wanted nothing to do with her. She couldn't see that they had absolutely no future together.

"Why?" Carlos asked me "Why is this so important to you Babe?"

"I don't know exactly. I just feel like I need this. I want to talk to her." I tried to explain

"You want her all locked up like Vaughn? He still got to you anyone. Not physically but emotionally You want to take that risk?" Hector shook his head

"This isn't the same and you know it. She doesn't have any information I need. I don't need to share anything about my life with her." I told him

"If she doesn't have any information you need then why do you need to meet with her?" Tank asked

"I can't really explain it. I know it's crazy. I feel like there is more to the case that she isn't telling us." I dropped down into a seat.

"It's not crazy Beautiful, but she is. You are pregnant. It's dangerous. We are all just worried about you." Lester sighed

"I am not going to put myself in danger." I stated

"She is a freaking bunny boiler." Vince was aggravated

"A what?" I asked

"A bunny boiler." he repeated

"What the hell is a bunny boiler?" I asked

"Come on Beautiful, you know what a bunny boiler is." Lester rolled his eyes

"No clue." I told him.

"There was a movie in the 80's that scared the crap out of any guy that ever considered cheating. The husband tries to end things with his mistress and she loses her mind. The rest of the movie is about all of the sick and crazy shit she does. In one part he pulls the top of a pot and there is his daughter's bunny rabbit boiling away." Brett explained.

"That's awful." I cringed

"Well, since then it kind of evolved to any sick chick chasing you around. Bunny boiler is a way to explain a case of unrequited love gone insane." Lester chuckled

"Whatever feelings that psycho has for me are definitely unrequited." Carlos let out a deep sigh

"Let me talk to her." I implored Carlos.

"Let me talk to her first." he suggested

"Why?" I asked

"I want to get her on tape. Our word means something but it would be irrefutable is we had video and audio. If you really think she has more information for us then maybe she will talk to me. Carlos explained

"You would need to get her to talk about Zaxby." Vince added

"I will." Carlos nodded

"And what if she..." I worried

Carlos laughed "Don't even think about it."

"Would you? Would you do whatever it takes to make her talk?" I nervously asked

"Babe" was his only answer.

Tank called Jeanne Ellen's cell phone and told her she would be interviewed. She sounded excited and plans were made. She would be brought into a small interview room on the main floor. She would not be allowed past the first floor. I didn't want any chance of her running into Alex or Mari who were playing with Ella somewhere on 6 or 7. Lester was struggling with the whole thing. He was still upset about her comments regarding Alex. I was upset too, but my need to make her talk outweighed anything else. A big part of me also wanted to make her suffer. I wanted the FBI to do something more than just fire her. I had even briefly considered torturing her and even killing her. My mind was wild with crazy ideas. I didn't like the thought of getting rid of someone, but my mama bear instincts were stronger than my morals right now. I knew I would have to reign myself in.

We found ourselves all gathered in the small room beside the interview room. Hector was checking the audio and visual for the tenth time. We were all hopping with anticipation. I felt like my body was humming with adrenaline. When we watched Manny lead her into the interview room everyone grew silent. I took a deep breath and released it. I was trying to keep calm and keep my composure. I wanted this all to end today. I needed for all of this to be over today no matter what.

As soon as Manny shut the door she faced the mirror. She was checking out her appearance. she fluffed her hair and turned side to side to check it out. She was wearing a tight black skirt that was too short for a business environment. Her blouse was white with too many buttons undone and she was wearing a black bra underneath it. Though it may be tacky, I had to admit she was a good looking woman. She had a great body with long blonde hair and green eyes. She moved like a feline and her boobs were twice the size of mine. I wondered if they were real. She had to know it was a two way mirror. Maybe she assumed Carlos was watching. Carlos broke my thoughts by pulling me into a hug. He was reassuring me as if he could read my mind. He gave me a quick kiss and then left the room. We all watched as he entered the interview room. Her eyes lit up and a big smile filled her face. He gestured for her to sit down and then he sat down across from her.

"So what brings you to Rangeman?" he asked

"I'm here for a job." she paused "I know we had issues on our last job, but I have changed. I want to be a part of something satisfying. I can learn to get along with all of your men. I know I would be a perfect fit. Also I have noticed you and I work so well together. It's almost like we can read each other's mind. We are connected somehow and would make the perfect partners. "

I watched as she licked her lips. She tilted her head slightly as she looked at him through hooded eyes. Carlos sat silently. It was amazing to see him in action. He could out wait anyone. There were times I could get him to cave and speak first but most of the time his silence drove me to speak first. Right now there was nothing sexier than my man a work. He looked completely relaxed and totally in control.

"We have met before you know." she told him

He raised an eyebrow but didn't speak.

"Yeah. When you lived in Newark you were in a gang. I moved to Newark with my family when I was sixteen. I was dating a guy in your gang when I first noticed you." she explained

He didn't speak right away so she continued.

"You never had a girlfriend. Never even looked at the girls that hung around."

"I never hung out with the guys when they had their parties with their girls." he told her

"I saw you again. When you graduated boot camp. I was dating a guy who was in your company. Tom Royce." she told him

"Royce was a cocky pain in the ass." he smirked

"Yeah, that didn't last long. I thought I would never see you again. Then there was Bill's Tavern." she smiled

"Bill's?" he was curious

"Yeah you were running a distraction. I sent you a drink but I guess you don't drink when you are working. You waved the waitress off before she could tell you about me." she sighed

"Didn't notice you." he shrugged.

"Can't you see it's fate? What are the odds of running into each other so many times. There was obviously a greater power that pushed us together." her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"And when you came to Trenton?" he asked her.

"I found out then that you were a bounty hunter so I decided to try the same line of work. I knew it would bring us close together." she half whispered

She gave him a look that reaked of pure desire. I felt my stomach clench. I was jealous. I wanted to scratch her eyes out. I rubbed my belly feeling self conscious of my growing body. She had a perfect body, toned and tight. She was wearing form fitting black dress pants and a black blouse that had one too many buttons open. You could just make out her amazing cleavage. I wondered if they were real.

"Why are you here?" he asked

"I need to be near you. I just feel it you know? I know you want me too. Fight it all you want. I know you are married and I am sure you feel a loyalty to your vows but you don't have to be stuck. Just because she keeps popping out babies you don't have to let yourself be trapped. She has her own money and she has Vince." she stated

Carlos said nothing. I glanced at Vince. He was looking at me with one eyebrow raised.

"And she has Lester." Jeanne Ellen added

My eyes shot to Lester and he rolled his eyes.

"Didn't it ever occur to you that their relationship is so tight. Didn't he used to be your best friend? He lived with her for almost four years. You think nothing happened between them? He has your same skin tone. I wouldn't be surprised if one or both of those rugrats are his." she suggested.

"Don't talk about my children." he glared at her

"Are you sure they're yours? Lester is a very attractive man." she taunted

Lester made a gagging noise and Tank chuckled.

"What? You don't find me attractive? You don't think I'm a hot mamma?" I asked him as I rubbed my belly

"Of course I do beautiful." he winked at me.

"Then there's Vince." Jeanne Ellen chuckled "She rushed right to his arms. We all saw it."

Carlos gave out a frustrated sigh.

"On that last case you didn't really cooperate." Carlos noted.

"I tried. I could have handled it all. You didn't use me to my full potential. You ignored my talent and listened to the advice of your wife." she sneered

"She is a successful profiler." Carlos noted

"She is an incompetent fool." she rolled her eyes.

"She helped to solve the case." he reminded her

"She got lucky. I tried..." she suddenly stopped

"What did you try?" he asked her

"Nothing." she covered

"So what job do you think you can do here?" he asked her

"I can be a distraction. To help catch your FTA's and a distraction for you. I can help you, Make sure you feel satisfied." she offered

"I don't need a distraction." he told her

"You need me." she told him

Carlos glanced at his cell phone at his hip. He hit some buttons and then looked up at her.

"I have to run. I'll be back. Do you want to wait or reschedule?" he asked her

"I'll wait for you." she answered quickly

"Okay." he nodded

"I mean that." her voice was husky.

Without another word Carlos left and barely a minute had gone by before he came into our small room and took me in his arms. He pulled me tight against him and sighed into my hair.

"I feel like I need a shower." Carlos pulled back

"Yeah. " Vince nodded

"She has more to say. There's something..." I told him

"Definitely something more." Lester agreed

"So how do I get it out of her?" Carlos asked me

"You can't." Hector chimed in

"What are you taking about?" Carlos asked him

"To get more you would have to put your hands on her. You would have to persuade her. She doesn't get angry with you. Your normal methods wouldn't work on her" Hector told him.

"I agree" I nodded "There are only two ways to get her to talk. Anger and love. She would want to impress you. Show you she is worthy of your love."

"You think I should lead her on?" Carlos asked me

"No" Tank answered

"Let me go in there. Let me push her." I told them

"The baby." Lester worried

"Babies." I corrected him

"Babies?" Vince was surprised

"Twins." Hector nodded

"You knew?" Carlos asked him

"She didn't tell me but I knew." Hector nodded

"You can't get stressed. It's not good." Brett added

"I won't be stressed. I will push her. I know I can get her to talk and I know there's something she is not telling us." I told them.

"What if she tries to attack you?" Lester worried

"I'll take my gun inside with me." I suggested

"Jeanne Ellen isn't armed. Manny took her gun before she went in. Stephanie can easily defend herself." Hector announced

I nodded at him and gave him a smile.

"If I think you are pushing yourself..." Carlos trailed off

"You can come in. You can send one of the guys in." I told him

"I don't like this." Vince shook his head

"Vince, this isn't over. It won't be over until we are finished with her. I can get her to talk and maybe get something to use against her or we can worry forever that she is going to keep trying to push into our lives. I need closure. I need her gone." I tried to explain

Vince thought for a moment. He looked around the room studying each man. Bobby, Brett, Hector, Lester and Tank all nodded at him.

"I hate this. She is a nasty viper." Vince spat

"You're right but we all need this." I pleaded

"Go ahead Babe." Carlos kissed my head again.

"Thanks guys." I forced a smile.

I left the room and went to the interview room. I stopped in the hall and gathered my thoughts. I took a deep breath as I turned the doorknob and went into the room. When she saw me she rolled her eyes.

"I'm waiting for Carlos to come back to me." she had a smug look

"You're going to be waiting a very long time." I smirked

"What the hell do you want?" she asked

"I need to interview you for your job." I took a seat

"You're a joke. Send Carlos back in here." she ordered

"Tell me about your skills." I told her

"My skills? Better for me to demonstrate my skills to Carlos." she smirked

"I thought he told you to call him Ranger." I smiled

"Why don't you go screw one of your men?" she glared

"Which one?" I asked

"Lester who plays the bff would be my first suggestion. However at the the moment I would think you are porking Vince." she leaned back

"Porking Vince?" I asked

"You're welcome." she crossed her arms

"Uhm thank you." I was confused.

"I delivered him on a silver platter." Jeanne Ellen gloated

"Maybe I got him on my own." I suggested

"Huh! That's bullshit." she laughed

"So how exactly did you help me?" I leaned back my seat.

"It was so easy. I went into those chats. At first it was just to monitor. Just to check on things. Then I saw during the meetings what it was doing to him. The next chat I started pushing. I prodded him for details. I made him make up the most disgusting things. I was helping him get along with the other pedophiles." she looked smug.

"You what?" I couldn't believe it

"I helped you. It pushed him right into your waiting arms. Obviously Lester wasn't man enough to take your interest away from Carlos." The smug look didn't leave her face

"Ranger" I gritted

"Once Ranger finds out you are screwing two of his friends he will throw you out like the garbage you are. I would be happy to help raise your children." that damn smirk again.

"No one in their right mind would allow you near children." I shook my head

"I made this case happen. You people don't realize all that I did behind the scenes to make this work. I am the one responsible for you all catching Zaxby. The glory should go to me." she argued

"So you used Vince and made him suffer to help the case? You tried to push him into my arms so you could have my husband all to yourself. Good job. How'd that work out for you?" I asked

"You will see. The plan isn't finished yet." she teased

"If that's the only skill you can tell me about I'm not impressed." I crossed my arms.

"I supervised you. Kept you on your toes. I kept Zaxby interested in the case by helping Vince, I was able to keep the men in that chat interested in Vince." she got to her feet

"How did you accomplish all of that?" I asked

She moved further away from me. She was almost standing in the corner of my room.

"Oh Stephanie. Some things just can't be learned. I would love to try and help you. To teach you, for Carlos'-Ranger's sake. But I just don't have the time to waste. It would be a complete waste of time. Some people just don't have it." she glared and smirked at the same time.

"Then teach me. Explain to me what you did to keep their interest. What did you do besides pushing Vince in the chats?" I asked

"I sent Zaxby a picture of one of Vince's victims." she sneered

"What? What the hell?" I was shocked and unsure of what to say.

"Yeah" she smirked

"Yeah what?" I pushed

"He needed more than words. He needed to believe in Vince. Even though I don't like you or Vince and especially Lester I was a team player. For Carlos' sake." she leaned against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You sat around and listened to the updates. You didn't do anything." I rolled my eyes

"I helped in the chats and I sent the picture. I sent a letter with the picture." she smiled

"A letter?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I have a copy." she gave me a superior look

She walked back to her seat and got her purse off of the back of the chair. She dug inside and then placed a piece of paper on the table.

"Oh and if you think about getting rid of that so you can dispose of the evidence that I helped I have another copy." she smiled.

She went back to her spot in the corner and I picked up the paper. I unfolded it. I glanced at the letter. The writing was in cursive and sloppy. I began to read it.

 _Scott,_

 _Enclosed you will find a picture of my latest victim. I didn't have to dispose of him. I had other ways to persuade him to keep quiet. Maybe you would like to meet him also.. You will find him very cooperative. After we meet I can introduce him to you. It's a relief to find someone with the same tastes as myself._

 _Michael_

"So where's the picture?" I asked her

She went back to her purse and pulled out a piece of photo paper. She laid it on the table face down before she walked back to her corner. I reached out for it with shaky hands. I had an idea of what I would see, but I was hoping I would be wrong. I paused and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and pulled it towards me. I flipped it over and gasped. My hands were shaking uncontrollably. I heard Jeanne Ellen give out a short breathy laugh. I closed my eyes and willed myself not to reach for the gun in my back.

I considered my options. I knew the guys would help me hide the body. I thought maybe this whole conversation might her charges of interfering with an FBI investigation but she was assigned to it. So while her methods were disgusting and endangering to others I didn't think anything could be done to her. Child pornography? Sending this picture of a child to a pedophile? I pictured myself jumping over the table and pummeling her with the butt of the gun. I pictured myself wrapping my hands around her neck.

"Where did you get this?" I asked her

"From you." she smirked

"From me?" I asked

"Yes. You left your laptop open and it was one of the pictures that you had in your screensaver loop of pictures." she smirked

I looked down at the picture of Alex in his swimsuit running under a sprinkler. I wanted to wipe that smirk off of her face. I wanted to use one of Hector's knives and cut out her tongue. I set the picture back down on to the table. I slowly and calmly walked over to her.

"I am speechless. I didn't know you could go to such lengths in this case." I held out my hand

She looked down at my hand and then back up to my face. She had a look of surprise and doubt. Finally she reached her hand forward. My other hand reached for her and it was like my body had a mind of it's own. I didn't have any control of my actions. I reached over her head and grabbed her by the hair on the back of her neck. I pulled her head forward and raised my knee. I heard the sound of her nose crack as her face met my knee. I didn't release her hair. I pulled her back up and slammed the side of her head into the wall. I released her hair and grabbed my gun as she fell to the ground. I mounted her and jammed the gun barrel into her mouth.

"Steph."

"Stephanie."

"Angelita"

"Beautiful"

"Babe"

"Look at the fucking picture." I growled

I stared into her eyes. They were wide with surprise and terror. Her mouth and nose were both bleeding. She tried to wiggle and I forcefully pushed the barrel into her mouth more as she gagged.

"What a sick bitch."

"Holy shit"

"Fuck"

"Son of a bitch"

"Babe" a hand was on my shoulder.

"Look at it!" I screamed

"I know what it is." Carlos spoke quitely

"No you don't." I growled

"Babe"

"No Carlos. That's our son. That's our baby. This bitch sent a picture of our son in his fucking bathing suit to a pedophile. Our son. My innocent baby. All to impress you. All to please you. And Vince. She fucked with his head on purpose. She forced him to have to say those disgusting things." I felt the tears in my eyes.

"You're right Babe." he rubbed my shoulder.

"You are a sick fuck." I glared down at her. "You deserve to die."

"She does Babe, but you don't want to pull that trigger. You don't want to explain this to our babies." he warned me

"I do Carlos. I do want to pull this trigger. I would have no problem explaining this to anyone." I told him

"Don't do this Steph." Lester pleaded "She's not worth it."

"Let us handle this." Hector suggested

Jeanne Ellen reached her hand up towards me.

"Hand her a gun Carlos. Hand her your gun so I have another reason to blow her brains out." I ordered

Instead of listening to me I watched his foot move beside me. She moaned in pain and I glanced over to see his foot on her hand. He stepped down hard and I was sure I heard it bones crunching. My finger stroked the trigger as I considered pulling it. I couldn't think straight. My hands were trembling and a lone tear slid down my cheek. I wasn't going to let her go again. I wasn't going to allow her to get away with this. God only knows what Zaxby did while looking at the picture of my son. He was dead now but I still didn't care.

I felt hands slide under my arms as I was gently lifted off of Jeanne Ellen. She moved to sit up and suddenly Hector was behind her. He placed a knife to her throat and forced her onto her feet. Once she stood she spit out a tooth. Lester moved in front of me and took the gun from my hand. Carlos wrapped his arms around my waist. I felt his body shaking as he held me against him. He was using me to keep his control. He held onto me to calm us both.

"Send word to John. Get the plane ready." Carlos told Brett

"I'm not going anywhere." I told him

"You're right Babe. You aren't but she is." he corrected me

"Where..." she croaked out

Hector pressed the knife into her neck more and blood trickled down her throat.

"You don't deserve to speak." he told her.

Vince moved around her and cuffed her hands together. I watched Lester kneel down and shackle her ankles. They both left the room.

"You can't..." she tried to argue

"I can and I will." Carlos told her

"But..." tears quickly streamed down her face.

"You have given up your rights when you sent that picture. You disgusted me before but now? Now I am repulsed by you. I wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire." Carlos told her.

"John says he is on the way to the plane." Brett informed Carlos

"Tell him to make flight plans to Mangareva. French Polynesia." Carlos spoke to Brett

I watched a smile spread across Hector's face.

"What?" Jeanne Ellen sobbed

Lester came back into the room and covered her mouth with duct tape. Hector released the knife from her neck but stayed behind her. Vince moved beside him and grabbed onto her cuffs. He jerked them towards him and she moaned in pain. Her eyes stared at Carlos. She was begging him for something. Understanding? Release? Carlos let go of me and gently moved me behind him. He stepped towards her and her eyes filled with fear. He got in her face and she winced. I couldn't see the look on his face but I imagined it held an anger that I had never witnessed.

"We aren't going to kill you. We aren't shipping you off to hide your body."he growled

She tilted her head waiting for more.

"I am sending you to a place where you will feel very welcomed. First you will be flown to Mangareva and then you will be taken by boat to Pitcairn Island." he began

"What?" I asked

"You will like it there." he told her

I watched Lester get out his phone and start typing.

"This island has a population of just 56 people. It is the least populous national jurisdiction in the world. It's a tropical paradise." he informed her

"Wait. What?" I interrupted him.

"Unfortunately, it won the record for the highest number of sex offenders per capita." he told her

"Don't worry you can get a job and earn some money to eventually get off of the island." Lester chuckled "Of course that is after you come up with money to fix your broken nose and broken hand."

"Lester." I was curious.

"It will be hard to get them fixed after the breaks have settled for a few months. I found some interesting information about your new home. They only have electricity for 10 hours a day. Most work is done with your hands and you have the potential to earn roughly $1k per year. But they speak their own language so that may cause some problems." Lester read

"Interesting." Vince smiled.

"Don't worry you can get off the island eventually. There is a boat four times a year and it costs...hold on let me convert this." Lester smirked "$3481.50"

Jeanne Ellen moaned through the tape.

"That's if the sex offenders don't get to you first." Vince chuckled.

He pulled at her cuffs and yanked her to the side. She moaned out and then closed her eyes. She fainted. Vince let her fall to the floor and we all just stared down at her.

"What happened?" I asked

Vince shrugged "Accidentally dislocated her shoulder."

"Something else she will need to earn money to fix." Lester remarked

"Get her out of here." Carlos ordered

Lester grabbed her under the arms and Vince grabbed her legs. Brett moved to follow.

"I will go along for the ride. Make sure she gets settled into her final destination." Brett announced.

"Me too partner." Vince told Brett

They nodded at each other and soon the room was empty. Carlos still had his back to me. He hadn't moved from where he stood. I moved to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He spun around and I saw the tears welling up in his eyes. He wasn't sad he looked furious. He closed his eyes and I watched him take a few deep breaths. He slowly fell down onto his knees and wrapped his arms around my waist. He kissed my stomach and then turned his head and pressed his cheek into my swollen belly.


	21. Chapter 21

Epilogue

I continued to stay behind the scenes and provide profiles and research for our company only. I cut ties with the FBI as far as working with them one on one. It was bets to only help the team when the FBI contracted Rangeman as a whole. Our business continued to boom as we landed ore lucrative accounts. We had opened an office in Los Angeles and Tank was currently there getting it going and helping our long term employee Silvio take the reigns.

Last week Morelli pulled me over to give me a speeding ticket and offered to let me go with a warning if I provided him with a service. I laughed in his face. All of our vehicles were wired for sound. I had absolutely no problem turning in the tape to the Chief. Morelli lost his job and was currently serving as a bartender at one of the worst bars on Stark Street.

"I need a fresh bag of peas." Carlos told me as he handed me the now warm bag he had been holding against his crotch. I held back my laughter as I retrieved a fresh bag from the freezer. I knew it wasn't nice to laugh at his pain so I did my best to hold it in. I wasn't used to seeing Carlos actually take an injury seriously. Typically he would still do all of this day to day business without slowing down, he usually ignored the doctor's orders for rest or taking it easy. This time he was following doctor's orders.

"I need one too." Alex demanded

He was sitting next to his father on the couch. Both of them were dressed in a black t-shirt and black sweat pants. Carlos had been home for just a couple of hours after having his vasectomy performed this morning. Alex didn't quite understand what his father was going through but he still wanted to do everything his daddy did. So they were both sitting side by side on the couch legs spread. I brought them each a new bag of peas.

Alex was the spitting image of his father. When he wasn't in school he followed him around every where. The guys had all began to call him little boss. He had big dreams on taking over the company one day. Carlos even had a little desk added to his office where Alex would often sit and color while his father worked. He had also started waking up at the crack of dawn to work out in the gym before school. I thought he would eventually tire of this schedule but it had been six months now and Alex showed no sign of being deterred from his mission of following in his father's foot steps.

Mari came running into the room and jumped up on her father's lap. He let out a sharp breath before pulling her tight against his chest. He let out a deep breath and kissed her forehead. He quickly readjusted her so that she was beside him instead of on his lap.

"Mari! Be careful. Daddy has a boo boo." I scolded

"Boo boo" she pouted

We all looked at the fresh bag of peas Carlos was now pressing against him with one hand. His other was around his daughter. Even in pain he wouldn't push her away.

"Babe"

I heard Sal's 'vroom vroom' noises in the other room and went to check on him. Salvatore Lester Manoso would be celebrating his first birthday in a month. He would be sharing his party with his twin brother Ricardo Joseph. Ricky was currently laying on the floor playing with Lester. They had matchbox cars and were building a track with loops and ramps. Sal was 'driving' each car over to the starting ramp to await their turn. I stayed in the doorway for a few minutes quietly watching their interaction.

I was proud to have my big family. The kids always had an uncle willing to play with them. Lester was still a big kid after all. Still the playboy he had adopted our children as his own. I worried for him because I could see how much he loved his nephews and niece. Being an uncle was easier than being a daddy and he still hadn't found a woman that could tame him and make him want his own children. So he shared all of his love with ours.

Carlos and I were now the proud parents of a three year old boy, a two year old girl and near one year old twin boys. I moved my hand down to massage my swollen stomach. Our second daughter would be making her debut into the world in just five months. We had tried shots, pills and even condoms but it seemed Carlos' super sperm always found it's way to my waiting eggs. I shook my head as a smile spread across my face. Every time the doctor had confirmed a pregnancy Carlos beamed with pride. He wanted a big family. I also suspected there was a part of him that was very proud of his virility.

After checking in on the boys and being reassured they were in the capable hands of their Uncle Lester I headed back out into the living room to check on their father. We had recently decided five children would be enough for us. So this is what prompted my husband's misery as he sat back on the couch still holding his daughter in his arms. I watched him and smiled. I would have never imagined my life like this but it seemed perfect to me now. When we had spoken to the doctor before Carlos' procedure he questioned whether the procedure was reversible. My first instinct was to slap him in the back of his head. Now watching him with our daughter in his arms I thought maybe we shouldn't take it completely off of the table.

It was becoming harder and harder to get back into shape after each pregnancy when I had very little time before I was pregnant again. The day I found out I was pregnant with our second daughter we talked for a long time. As we laid in bed that night confided in him and told him I was worried about my body. I hated to be so vain but I couldn't help it. My husband is a very desirable man. Women constantly came on to him. Being with me or holding one of his children was never a deterrent. This was made worse by pregnancy hormones. I was completely filled with jealousy every time a woman gave him too much attention. I hated how it made me act, but Carlos always chuckled and brushed it off.

That night Carlos assured me I was beautiful to him inside and out. He didn't care if I worked out or had tight abs. He showed me just how attracted to me over and over that night. In the morning he wanted to have another talk. He wanted me to keep an open mind about any other future children but he agreed that for now a vasectomy was the only way to guarantee us both a break. I found myself agreeing to keep an open mind to a possible future reversal in between mind altering kisses. Damn, I loved this man. I would have dozens of children with him. Especially if they all looked like him.

"Have you thought of any names yet Babe?" he asked me

"Well, we used Sal's name, Lester's name, and my dad's name as middle names for the boys. But we already used Abuela's name and your mom's name with Mari. We don't really have any other women close to us. Unless you want to use one of your sister's names." I suggested

"No. Maybe Stephanie." he offered

"No way." I bit into my lower lip.

"Stephanie is one of my absolute favorite names." he smiled

"I have been thinking..." I began

"What is it?" he asked

"Well, I know this is a little weird." I began.

"Try me." he encouraged

"For a middle name how about Vincenta?" I offered

"The Spanish female version of Vince." he stated

I nodded and he smiled.

"Do you hate it?" I asked

He shook his head. "No, not at all. Just don't tell me you are going with a female version of Tank for a first name."

"No. I asked him and he doesn't want the name Pierre anywhere near one of our children. He hates it for his own name." I reminded him.

"Then how about we pay homage to your Italian side and go with Gabriella. We can call her Ella." he suggested

"Oh my God! It's perfect! Why didn't I think of Ella?" I slapped my forehead

"Babe"

There was a knock at the door and then I heard it open.

"Just me." Vince hollered

"We're in the living room." I called back

Vince entered the room and did a double take when he saw Carlos.

"Don't say a word if you value your life." Carlos told him

"Yeah, and don't stare at our crotches." Alex cautioned him.

I laughed out loud and then quickly tried to cover my mouth.

Vince held up both hands "Wouldn't dream of it."

"We were just talking about you. Well we were talking about your name." I explained

"Really?" he was confused.

"We decided on a name for our newest Manoso." Carlos told him

"What will the little angel be named?" Vince asked

"Gabriella Vincenta" I smiled

He crossed the room and held out a hand towards my stomach. He stopped and looked up at my face and I nodded. He reached out and settled his had on my swollen belly. He rubbed it gently. He let out a deep sigh.

"I can't wait to meet you sweet little Ella." he whispered

"How did you know?" I asked

"You two always choose the names after someone important to you." he looked back up at me again. "I'm honored."

I grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. He rubbed my back and rested his head on my shoulder.

"We love you. You are family." I assured him

"Thank you." he pulled back kissed my cheek

He moved back towards the couch.

"I don't need a hug or kiss." Carlos told him

"We don't do hugs and kisses except with mommy." Alex added

Vince chuckled.

"Yes Sir." he nodded to Alex.

I couldn't help but laugh. I crossed the room and kissed Carlos, Mari and Alex on the cheek. Mari wiggled out of Carlos' arms and went to hug her Uncle Vince. He bent down and gave her a hug. She kissed his cheek before he set her down. She toddled over to her coloring book and settled at the coffee table. She leaned back against the couch sitting in between her father's legs. Carlos pulled the table closer so that she could color and stay close to him.

I could always tell when he was having nightmares because he would spend more time with the kids. He would take them to the park or work with them in the gym. It seemed like they calmed him and gave him the laughter and happiness he needed to move forward. My nightmares always included Jean Ellen coming back for Alex. When I woke up in a cold sweat Carlos would comfort me and assure me I would never see Jean Ellen again. He had assigned a body guard for each kid but they usually only showed themselves when I was trying to juggle all of them at once. When they were with their uncles the extra guards hung back and only made themselves known if needed. At first I had fought against it but I had to admit after a couple of days it gave me a comfort to know I had someone else backing me up to keep my children safe.

"I came up here for a reason." Vince explained

"Everything okay?" I asked Vince

"Better than okay." he smiled

Vince crossed the room and swooped me up into his arms. He hugged me tightly and twirled me around.

"Hey!" I giggled

"Don't shake the baby Uncle Vince." Mari cautioned him

"Sorry little one. I just got excited." he answered her

He set me down and held his arms out to Mari. She jumped to her feet and ran to his open arms. He picked Mari up and swung her around and she giggled. Finally he set her down and turned to me.

"I just came back from my quarterly visit to the tropical paradise." he explained

"I trust all was well." Carlos interrupted

"Better than well. It seems our guest will be a permanent resident on the island." he smirked as he moved towards Carlos.

"She's buried in her work?" Carlos asked him

"I watched the dirt get piled on with my own eyes." Vince smiled

Carlos reached out a fist and Vince met his with a bump. I let out a deep breath and relaxed. She was gone. Not just out of site but Jeanne Ellen was now completely out of our lives. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Vince was saying. I knew he was trying to tell us in a way that was appropriate in front of Alex and Mari. Vince had been visiting the island every quarter to make sure she was still there. She tried to work but her hand was useless. As a new pretty face on the island she received lots of attention. I never asked Vince for all of the details but I knew she was miserable. While I didn't want the details I often worried about the part of me that was happy about her suffering. Every time I felt myself feeling sorry for her I considered what might have happened if Zaxby got his hands on Alex. All sympathy would quickly disappear.

I glanced at Vince and noticed his shoulders were down slightly. He was relaxed. I smiled at him and he winked at me. This was a relief for both of us. Most of all I hoped it would put an end to his nightmares as well as mine. Our eyes held until he looked down. I followed his eyes. Mari was pulling on the leg of his jeans. He quickly gave her his full attention.

"I practiced." Mari announced

I was confused but Vince knew immediately what she was talking about.

"The jump kicks?" Vince asked her

"Yes" she nodded

"Show me" he smiled at her

Vince got down on his knees and held out his hand as a target. Mari took a step forward and jumped up as she kicked out her leg. Vince groaned as she nailed him right in the crotch. He bent over and let out a whoosh of breath. I headed for the freezer and returned to find Vince sitting on the other side of Alex. I tossed him a bag of peas and he leaned back and pressed them against him.

"I'm sorry." Mari sniffled

"It's okay sweetheart." Vince forced a smile.

"No more kicks." she assured him

"No. No. We can work on them again." he assured her.

"Again?" she asked

"Later. In the gym. You can show me on a pad." he assured her

"Okay." she skipped away smiling

I sat down in the recliner and looked at the three males on the couch. Both Vince and Carlos had their heads back against the cushion face pointed to the ceiling. Alex looked left and right before he pulled the peas away from his crotch. He shivered and set them on the cushion in front of him. I gave him a smile and a wink. He slowly got up and went towards his room. He quickly returned with his Ipad and wiggled back into his seat.

I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. I thought back to when I first met Carlos. How he had pushed me and Carl's bike out of the street before I got hit by the car. My whole life this man had saved my life over and over. Our anniversary was coming up and last night as we laid in bed I reminded him of how we first met. I thanked him for all that he had done for me over the years.

When he spoke to me softly I didn't argue. He told me how I had saved him. From the time my father got him released into his Grandmother's care in Miami to the way I stood by him during his Army career. He told me stories about men who were abandoned by their women while they were serving. He chilled me with stories of men who were hardened by their time without love in their life. How some men lived with constant blank faces and thoughts of their live not being conducive to relationships.

He made me feel proud and honored. I was humbled to know my love helped him stay strong during his time in the Army. I reminded him of how his love empowered me to pursue my own education and career. If someone would have told me that I would meet the man of my dreams when I was two years old I would never have believed them. If anyone told me that I would be married at the age of twenty-two to the only man I had ever kissed I wouldn't have believed it.

Now here I was. A happily married wife and mother. My career was fulfilling. My life was content. I was surrounded by friends and family who loved me. I had a father and brother who supported me and accepted me for all that I am. I had a best friend who would do anything for me and my children. I had it all. There had been ups and downs and I was sure there would be more to come. I didn't know what my future would hold but I knew with Carlos and my family everything would work out.

I opened my eyes and sat up when I heard the steps of someone moving towards me. Carlos was standing in front of me. I quickly got to my feet and he wrapped his arms around me.

"What has you smiling like that Babe?" he asked before he kissed my neck

"You. My family. Our future." I admitted

"Deep thoughts." he whispered before he kissed me again.

"Don't start something you can't finish." I nuzzled his neck.

"There are other ways to make sure you finish." he pulled back.

He had a smile across his face as he reached both hands into my hair. He pulled me to him and kissed me. The kiss started off soft and sweet but when I parted my mouth his tongue plunged deep inside. I heard myself moan as he deepened the kiss.

"Hey! I'm still here." Vince announced.

"They do this all of the time." Alex told him

I pulled away from Carlos and laughed as I buried my head into his chest.

"How the hell can you even think of that when you are in pain?" Vince asked him

"Have you seen my wife? She is beyond beautiful." he told him.

He was speaking to Vince but he gently lifted my chin to look into my eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah. We all know she's hot but man you need to give it a rest." Vince chuckled

"Again?" Lester asked as he entered the room

"Lester." I whined

"Seriously? You two are not normal." he shook his head.

Carlos pulled away but kept an arm around my waist.. He pulled me against him and kissed my temple.

"We are trying to set a good example of a healthy relationship for all of our children." he told them.

"Yeah I know." Lester rolled his eyes. "You two are the reason I can't find the right women."

"What?" I asked him

"I want what you two have. I'm not going to settle for less." he informed us

"Good. You will find the one Lester." I nodded

"Maybe if you would have hired that last nanny you interviewed." he wiggled his eyebrows.

"She was an ex-pole dancer." I shook my head

"Yeah but..." he let out a whistle.

"You don't need a nanny. You have us." Vince smiled as he got to his feet.

"That's why we ended up not hiring any." I winked at him.

He crossed the room and kissed me on the cheek.

"Tell Mari I'll be up to get her after lunch. I need time to eat and put my cup on." he explained

I chuckled and felt Carlos' chest rumble next to me with his silent laughter.

"See ya later." Vince headed for the door.

"What happened to him?" Lester asked

"Mari was showing off her knew jump kick." Carlos explained

"She got Uncle Vince right in the balls." Alex chuckled

"Alex!" I chided him.

"What? We have balls. Dad says you don't have balls. Uncle Lester said sometimes you carry Dad's balls in your purse. I didn't know they could come off." Alex shrugged

I glared at Lester and felt Carlos growl next to me.

"It was just a joke." Lester held up both hands.

"They don't come off?" Alex asked

"No little Boss. They don't come off." Lester looked down

"You'r so weird." Alex shook his head

Carlos laughed out loud that time.

"Maybe I should try to see if your will fit in my purse." I suggested

"Oh no Beautiful. That's okay. It was a bad joke." he started moving towards the door.

"You are on babysitting duty next weekend." I told him

"Yes ma'am." he nodded before he escaped.

After the door shut Carlos pulled me back into his arms. He kissed me lightly and then pulled away.

"I love you Babe." he told me

"I love you too." I kissed him

"Why do you call her Babe?" Alex asked

"I've been calling her that since she was six years old." Carlos told him

"But why?" Alex asked

"Because she was so pretty. Because she was so special. Because she was mine." he told his son

"Wow." Alex looked up from his game.

"Your father saved me from a train wreck." I smiled

At that exact moment Sal was crawling into the room followed by Ricky. They had ditched their cars in favor of their battery operated train. They had it running in front of them and were both announcing the train's entrance.

"Choo Choo." Sal called out

"Choo Choo." Ricky joined him

Carlos and I both laughed. He pulled me tight against him and kissed me on the top of his head.

"You saved me that day." I whispered in his ear.

"You saved me from the moment I met you Babe." he squeezed me tighter

*****************************THANK YOU*************************

Thank you so much for following me on this journey. I so loved writing a Carlos that wasn't affected negatively by his time in the Army and all that he had done. I enjoyed stopping all of the Morelli crap and giving Stephanie the life she deserved. I apologize for the time in between posting the last few chapters. My mind suddenly became obsessed with a new story. Hope you will continue to follow along with me and read my next story.

Thank you again for all of your reviews and thank you for reading through all of my errors as I edit my own work to try to get it out quickly.


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